Determine the degree of each polynomial.
$a^2+2ab+b^2$

• A. $6$
• B. $2$
• C. $5$
• D. $4$

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify each term in the polynomial \(a^2 + 2ab + b^2\). The terms are \(a^2\), \$2ab\(, and \)b^2$.
2. For each term, find the degree by adding the exponents of all variables in that term. For example, in \(a^2\), the degree is 2 because the exponent of \(a\) is 2.
3. Calculate the degree of the term \$2ab\(. Since \)a\( and \)b\( each have an exponent of 1, add these exponents: \)1 + 1 = 2$.
4. Calculate the degree of the term \(b^2\). The exponent of \(b\) is 2, so the degree is 2.
5. The degree of the polynomial is the highest degree among all its terms. Compare the degrees found and identify the largest one.