Final answer:
The correct property for the initial step in solving the equation 5(x-3) + 2 = 2x - 6 is the distributive property, which is not listed as an option for the first step in the provided statements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is working with the equation 5(x-3) + 2 = 2x - 6 and is trying to understand the properties of algebra that apply to the steps in solving it. Step 1 would involve applying the distributive property to remove the parentheses, which is not one of the given options. The associative property deals with the grouping of numbers in operations and does not apply to the removal of parentheses. The commutative property refers to the ability to change the order of numbers in addition or multiplication without changing the result, but it is not relevant to step 1 either.
Therefore, none of the options provided (A, B, C) directly describe Step 1 accurately. Option D, which states that Step 3 is the result of applying the distributive property, would be correct if they were referring to the initial step of distributing the 5 to both terms inside the parentheses (5(x) - 5(3)). Nevertheless, if there is a hypothetical Step 3 not fully described in this scenario, we can't confirm the statement's accuracy without that context.