High School

Which answer is incorrect?

Simplify: [tex]-5x^3 + 8x^2[/tex]

A. 39.1

(Note: Without additional context or answer choices, it's unclear what "39.1" refers to. Please provide more details if needed.)

Answer :

To solve the problem of simplifying the expression [tex]\(-5x^3 + 8x^2\)[/tex], we need to understand that this expression is already simplified. Simplification involves combining like terms or factoring, but in this case, there are no like terms to combine, and it cannot be factored further in a meaningful way without specific context or additional information.

Here's a breakdown:

1. Identifying Terms: The expression consists of two terms: [tex]\(-5x^3\)[/tex] and [tex]\(8x^2\)[/tex]. These terms cannot be combined because they are not like terms (they have different exponents).

2. Simplification: Since there are no like terms, no simplification can occur beyond rewriting it as is: [tex]\(-5x^3 + 8x^2\)[/tex].

3. Evaluation: If the objective is to evaluate this expression for a specific value of [tex]\(x\)[/tex], we can substitute the value into the expression. For example, if [tex]\(x = 1\)[/tex], substitute 1 for [tex]\(x\)[/tex] in the expression:

[tex]\[
-5(1)^3 + 8(1)^2 = -5 \cdot 1 + 8 \cdot 1 = -5 + 8 = 3
\][/tex]

So, with the provided information, evaluating at [tex]\(x = 1\)[/tex] results in 3. This shows the solved answer when evaluated specifically at this value.