What is the leading coefficient of f(x) = 3x^2 - 5x + 2?

• A. 3
• B. -3
• C. 2
• D. -2

Answer: (A)

The leading coefficient is the coefficient of the highest-degree term in the polynomial. For a quadratic, that’s the coefficient of x^2. In f(x) = 3x^2 - 5x + 2, the highest-degree term is 3x^2, so the leading coefficient is 3. The other terms have lower degrees, so they don’t affect the leading coefficient. The constant term and the x-term coefficients (−5 and 2) aren’t candidates for the leading coefficient. So, the leading coefficient is 3.