Correct Answer:
C. 4
This question involves solving a basic linear algebraic equation, 3x = 12. The goal is to find the value of the unknown variable 'x'. In this equation, '3x' means '3 multiplied by x'.
To isolate 'x' and solve the equation, we need to perform the inverse operation of multiplication, which is division. We must divide both sides of the equation by 3 to maintain equality:
- 3x / 3 = 12 / 3
- x = 4
Therefore, option C is the correct answer. If we substitute x=4 back into the original equation, 3 * 4 = 12, which is true. Options A (2), B (3), and D (6) are incorrect because substituting these values into the equation would result in false statements (e.g., 3 * 2 = 6, not 12; 3 * 3 = 9, not 12; 3 * 6 = 18, not 12).