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How Do You Find the Degree of a Monomial?

Definition: Degree of a Monomial

Summary

  1. Taking the sum means we'll add all the exponents of all the variables
  2. 3y3 is a monomial with 1 variable: y3
  3. 7x2y3z is a monomial with 3 variables: x2, y3, and z
  4. 12 is a monomial with no variables
  5. The degree of 3y3 is 3
  6. The 'z' in 7x2y3z has an invisible exponent of 1
  7. The degree of 7x2y3z is 6
  8. The degree of 12 is 0

Notes

    1. These examples are all monomials, because nothing is being added or subtracted
    1. The variable is y and its exponent is 3
    1. Since there is only one exponent, there is nothing to add!
    2. So our degree is just the value of the exponent, 3
    1. The variables here are x, y, and z
    2. x has an exponent of 2
    3. y has an exponent of 3
    4. z has an invisible exponent of 1
    5. If a variable has no exponent, that means its exponent is actually 1, we just don't write it
    1. So we'll need to add together 2+3+1
    1. 2+3+1=6
    1. 12 has no variables, but it's still a monomial
    1. Since there are no variables, there are no exponents!
    2. So the degree will be 0