what is the first step when solving 2s magna 15 - 4x equal 3 to combine like terms 1.8 because there are like terms the variables

Correct. The first step when solving this equation is to combine the like terms. In this case, the like terms are the terms with the variable x. You can do this by subtracting 3 from both sides to isolate the terms with x on one side of the equation.