1Cademy - Identifying Coefficients of Terms

Example

Identifying Coefficients of Terms

To find a term's coefficient, look for the numerical factor attached to the variable:

The coefficient of $14y$ is ${14}$ , since ${14}$ is the constant multiplied by $y$ .
The coefficient of $15x^2$ is ${15}$ , since ${15}$ is the constant multiplied by $x^2$ .
The coefficient of $a$ is ${1}$ , because $a$ is the same as $1 \cdot a$ —when no number is explicitly written, the coefficient is understood to be ${1}$ .

This pattern holds regardless of the exponent on the variable: the coefficient is always the numerical factor in front.

Updated 2026-04-21

Contributors are:

Who are from:

References