The degree of the fifth term is 0
The degree of the polynomial is 6
The leading term of the polynomial is

The leading term of the polynomial is the term with the highest degree, which is . This term is crucial because it determines the polynomial’s behavior as the variable approaches infinity or negative infinity.

Also, did you know that identifying the leading term can help in sketching the graph of the polynomial? The sign and degree of the leading term will tell you whether the ends of the graph rise or fall. In this case, since the leading term’s coefficient is negative and the degree is even, you would expect both ends of the graph to fall.