Explain in your own words why a polynomial can’t be a quadratic if a= 0?

If , then turns into . That term goes away because it turns into 0, and adding 0 onto anything does not change the expression.

So   turns into which is a linear equation (b is the slope, c is the y intercept). It is no longer a quadratic as quadratic equations always graph out a curved parabola.

As an example, you could graph out and note how it's the exact same as , both of which are straight lines through the two points (0,4) and (1,7).

i believe the correct answer is b.