Let's solve the problem step by step, identifying the correct operations along the way.
We start with the equation:
[tex]\[ 3c - 16 = 53 \][/tex]
Step One: Add 16 to both sides of the equation to isolate the term with [tex]\( c \)[/tex].
[tex]\[ 3c - 16 + 16 = 53 + 16 \][/tex]
This simplifies to:
[tex]\[ 3c = 69 \][/tex]
Step Two: At this point, we have:
[tex]\[ 3c = 69 \][/tex]
Step Three: The correct operation to isolate [tex]\( c \)[/tex] is to divide both sides of the equation by 3, not multiply:
[tex]\[ \frac{3c}{3} = \frac{69}{3} \][/tex]
This simplifies to:
[tex]\[ c = 23 \][/tex]
So, the correct operation that the student should have performed in Step Three is to divide both sides by 3.
