To transform the function \( f(x) = x^2 + 12 \) into \( f(x - 3) \), we want to evaluate \( f \) at \( x - 3 \).
We substitute \( x - 3 \) into the function:
\[ f(x - 3) = (x - 3)^2 + 12 \]
Now let's break down the operations needed to achieve this:
- Subtract 3 from x: This gives us \( x - 3 \).
- Square the result: We then square \( (x - 3) \) to get \( (x - 3)^2 \).
- Add 12: Finally, we add 12 to the squared result.
So, the correct order is:
- Subtract 3 from x.
- Square \( (x - 3) \).
- Add 12.
Therefore, the option that best describes the order of operations is:
Subtract 3 from x, square \((x - 3)\), and add 12.