Solve for a: 9a - 3 = 24.

To solve the equation ( 9a - 3 = 24 ), the goal is to isolate the variable ( a ).

Start by adding 3 to both sides of the equation to eliminate the constant on the left side:

[

9a - 3 + 3 = 24 + 3

]

This simplifies to:

[

9a = 27

]

Next, divide both sides by 9 to isolate ( a ):

[

a = \frac{27}{9}

]

This simplifies further to:

[

a = 3

]

The correct answer is therefore 3. This means that if you substitute ( a ) back into the original equation, the left side will equal the right side, confirming that 3 is indeed the value of ( a ).