In the expression -7x - 5x^2 + 5, what is the coefficient of x?
A. 7
B. 5
C. -5
D. -7
To find the coefficient of x in the expression -7x - 5x^2 + 5, we need to identify the term that includes x and then determine the numerical value in front of x.
We have two terms that include x: -7x and -5x^2.
The term -7x has a coefficient of -7 since the numerical value in front of x is -7.
The term -5x^2 also includes x, but it is raised to the power of 2. The coefficient specifically refers to the numerical value in front of the variable part (without the exponent). In this case, the numerical value in front of x^2 is -5.
Therefore, the coefficient of x in the expression -7x - 5x^2 + 5 is -7 (option D).