The first step in solving for \( x \) in the equation \( 9.8(x - 2.14) = 53.9 \) is to divide both sides by 9.8. This isolates the expression on the left side.
So, you would start by dividing both sides by 9.8:
\[ x - 2.14 = \frac{53.9}{9.8} \]
After this step, you can proceed to solve for \( x \).