the coefficient of `5a^(2)` in `-5a^(3)bc` is

Options

A. `-bc`
B. `a^(2)bc`
C. `-a^(2)bc`
D. `-abc`

Answer

To find the coefficient of \( 5a^2 \) in the expression \( -5a^3bc \), we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the expression
We start with the expression \( -5a^3bc \).

**Hint:** Look for the term that contains \( a^2 \) in the expression.

### Step 2: Factor out \( 5a^2 \)
We want to express \( -5a^3bc \) in a way that highlights \( 5a^2 \). We can rewrite the expression as:
\[ -5a^3bc = 5a^2 \cdot (-a \cdot bc) \]

**Hint:** When factoring, think about how you can express the original term in terms of \( 5a^2 \).

### Step 3: Identify the coefficient
From the rewritten expression \( 5a^2 \cdot (-abc) \), we can see that the coefficient of \( 5a^2 \) is \( -abc \).

**Hint:** The coefficient is the term that multiplies \( 5a^2 \) in the expression.

### Final Answer
The coefficient of \( 5a^2 \) in the expression \( -5a^3bc \) is \( -abc \).

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