What is the 2nd term when 5y³ + 2y - 3 + 6y² - y⁴ is arranged in descending order?

Solution:

Given a polynomial 5y³ + 2y - 3 + 6y² - y⁴

Any polynomial is written in the standard form before performing operations on them. Writing a polynomial in the standard form is arranging its powers in descending order. The following are the steps to write a polynomial in the standard form.

• First group the like terms.
• Then find the exponents in the terms
• Arrange them in the descending order of powers
• Write the constant term as the last term.

In the given polynomial the terms are arranged as follows:

-y⁴ + 5y³ + 6y² + 2y - 3

Therefore, the 2nd term is 5y³.

What is the 2nd term when 5y³ + 2y - 3 + 6y² - y⁴ is arranged in descending order?

Summary:

The 2nd term when 5y³ + 2y - 3 + 6y² - y⁴ is arranged in descending order is 5y³.