Questions: Determine whether the following function is a polynomial function. If the function is a polynomial function, state its degree. If it is not, tell why not. Write the polynomial in standard form. Then identify the leading term and the constant term.
f(x)=6-4/x
Determine whether f(x) is a polynomial or not. Select the correct choice below and, if necessary, fill in the answer box to complete your choice.
A. It is not a polynomial because the variable x is raised to the power, which is not a nonnegative integer. (Type an integer or a fraction.)
B. It is a polynomial of degree .
(Type an integer or a fraction.)
Transcript text: Determine whether the following function is a polynomial function. If the function is a polynomial function, state its degree. If it is not, tell why not. Write the polynomial in standard form. Then identify the leading term and the constant term.
\[
f(x)=6-\frac{4}{x}
\]
Determine whether $f(x)$ is a polynomial or not. Select the correct choice below and, if necessary, fill in the answer box to complete your choice.
A. It is not a polynomial because the variable x is raised to the $\square$ power, which is not a nonnegative integer. (Type an integer or a fraction.)
B. It is a polynomial of degree $\square$.
(Type an integer or a fraction.)
Solution
Solution Steps
Solution Approach
Identify if the given function \( f(x) = 6 - \frac{4}{x} \) is a polynomial.
A polynomial function has variables raised to nonnegative integer powers.
In the given function, the term \(\frac{4}{x}\) can be rewritten as \(4x^{-1}\), which has a negative exponent.
Since the exponent is not a nonnegative integer, the function is not a polynomial.
Step 1: Determine if \( f(x) \) is a Polynomial
The given function is \( f(x) = 6 - \frac{4}{x} \). To determine if it is a polynomial, we need to check the exponents of the variable \( x \). A polynomial function must have all terms with \( x \) raised to nonnegative integer powers.
Step 2: Analyze the Terms
The term \( \frac{4}{x} \) can be rewritten as \( 4x^{-1} \). The exponent \(-1\) is not a nonnegative integer, which disqualifies the function from being a polynomial.
Step 3: Conclusion
Since the function contains a term with a negative exponent, we conclude that \( f(x) \) is not a polynomial.
Final Answer
The answer is A. It is not a polynomial because the variable \( x \) is raised to the \( -1 \) power, which is not a nonnegative integer.