Find the Leading Coefficient in -x² + 7x - 9: Identifying Value of a

Determine the value of the coefficient $a$ in the following equation:

$-x^2+7x-9$

The quadratic equation in the problem is already arranged (meaning all terms are on one side and 0 on the other side), so let's proceed to answer the question asked:

The question asked in the problem - What is the value of the coefficient$a$ in the equation?

Let's recall the definitions of coefficients in solving quadratic equations and the roots formula:

The rule states that the roots of an equation of the form:

$ax^2+bx+c=0$are:

$x_{1,2}=\frac{-b\pm\sqrt{b^2-4ac}}{2a}$

That is the coefficient $a$is the coefficient of the quadratic term (meaning the term with the second power)- $x^2$Let's examine the equation in the problem:

$$$-x^2+7x-9 =0$

Remember that the minus sign before the quadratic term means multiplication by: $-1$ , therefore- we can write the equation as:

$-1\cdot x^2+7x-9 =0$

The number that multiplies the $x^2$, is $-1$ hence we identify that the coefficient of the quadratic term is the number $-1$,

Therefore the correct answer is A.