Final answer:
To find the total restaurant bill amount before a 20% tip, divide the tip amount by the tip percentage in decimal form. With a tip of $31.20, the bill amounts to $156 before the tip was added.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asked is a mathematics problem involving calculating the total restaurant bill from a tip amount when a specific policy of adding a 20% tip is in place. To find the original bill amount when Marie receives a tip of $31.20, we first understand that this tip represents 20% of the bill. Therefore, to calculate the bill before the tip, we divide the amount of the tip by the tip percentage in decimal form (0.20). So, it would be $31.20 ÷ 0.20, which equals $156. Thus, the correct answer is C) $156.