To transform \( f(x) = x^2 + 12 \) into \( f(x-3) \), you replace \( x \) with \( x-3 \) in the function. This means the following steps are involved:
- Subtract 3 from x: This gives you \( x - 3 \).
- Square (x - 3): You take the result from the first step and square it; this results in \( (x - 3)^2 \).
- Add 12: Finally, you add 12 to the result of the squaring.
So, the correct order of operations is:
- Subtract 3 from x.
- Square (x - 3).
- Add 12.
Therefore, the correct response is: Subtract 3 from x, square (x - 3), and add 12.