Regan's class is preparing for a field trip. Her teacher purchased bottled water for the trip and asked Regan to stock a cooler with 2 bottles for every student who is going. 3 of the students didn't turn in permission slips and aren't going on the trip. So, Regan stocks the cooler with 46 bottles of water. What is the total number of students in Regan's class?

Answer 1

Let "t" be the total number of students in Regan's class.
There are t - 3 students going on the field trip.
The number of bottles needed is 2 * (t - 3).
And 2 * (t - 3) = 46.
Thus 2 * t - 6 = 46.
Thus 2 * t = 52.
Thus t = <<26=26>>26. Answer: \boxed{26}.