What is a monomial?

A monomial is an algebraic expression that consists of only one term. This term can be a constant, a variable raised to a power, or a product of constants and variables raised to powers. Monomials are the simplest type of algebraic expressions and are often used in simplifying and solving equations in algebra.

For example, the expression 5x^2 is a monomial because it consists of only one term, where 5 is the coefficient and x^2 is the variable raised to the power of 2. Similarly, the expression -2y is also a monomial because it consists of only one term, where -2 is the coefficient and y is the variable raised to the power of 1.