The leading coefficient of a quadratic function is the coefficient of the term with the highest degree. In the case of the quadratic function f(x) = 2x² + 5x + 4, the term with the highest degree is 2x².
To identify the leading coefficient, we look at the coefficient in front of the x² term. Here, that coefficient is 2. Therefore, the leading coefficient of the function f(x) = 2x² + 5x + 4 is 2.
Understanding the leading coefficient is important because it gives us insights into the behavior of the quadratic function. Since it’s positive, the parabola opens upwards, indicating that the function will have a minimum point.