First of all, find f ⁻¹ (x), or the inverse function like so:
y = log(3x + 12)
e^y = 3x + 12
3x = e^y - 12
x = 1/3 (e^y - 12)
Now, swap x and y:
f ⁻¹ (x) = y = 1/3 (e^x - 12)
Secondly and finally, substitute 3 into this eq'n:
f ⁻¹ (3) = 1/3 (e³ -12) = 2.695.....
so 2.695 (to 4 sig.figs/ 3 d.ps)
or if asked for an exact answer then it is just: 1/3 (e³ -12), which can be simplfied to 1/3e³ - 4.