The first step in simplifying the expression \((2x^3 - 12x^2 + 5x - 3) - (7x^3 v + v10x^2 - 3x + 20)\) is to distribute the negative to the second set of parentheses. This means you need to change the signs of each term inside the second parentheses before combining like terms or simplifying further.
So, the correct response is: Distribute the negative to the second set of parentheses.