Which of the following would be classified as a trinomial?
x2 + 2x
1 - x - x5
3xy
(xy)z
all of these
A TERM, not counting its sign, is separated from
other terms by either a plus or a minus sign.
If the sign before a term that separates the term from a term
before it is a plus sign, the term is positive.
If the sign before a term that separates the term from a term
before it is a minus sign, the term is negative.
If the term comes first in the expression and has no negative
sign before it, it is positive. If it comes first and has
a negative sign before it, then of course it is negative.
Let's go through the possible choices one by one:
x2 + 2x has TWO terms, x2 and 2x.
1 - x - x5 has THREE terms, 1, -x, and -x5.
3xy has ONE term.
(xy)z has ONE term.
A TRIcycle has THREE wheels. A TRInomial has THREE terms.
So the answer is the only one with THREE terms,
1 - x - x5
Edwin
