Final answer:
To find the number of dinner combinations from a menu with three meat choices, three vegetable choices, and two dessert choices, multiply the number of options for each category. This results in 3 × 3 × 2, giving a total of 18 different ways to choose a dinner.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks how many ways one can choose a dinner from a menu offering three meat choices, three vegetable choices, and two desserts. To answer this using the counting principle, you multiply the number of choices for each category together. Since the meat can be chosen in 3 ways, the vegetables in 3 ways, and the dessert in 2 ways, you calculate the total number of different dinners by multiplying these numbers:
3 (meats) × 3 (vegetables) × 2 (desserts) = 18 different ways.
Therefore, the correct answer is C. 18 ways.