First Reasoning Step for the Apple Problem: Eating Apples

Consider the following scenario: 'A librarian starts the day with 50 books on the returns cart. A student returns a stack of 8 books. Later, the librarian shelves 30 books from the cart. Just before closing, another 12 books are returned to the cart.' To determine the number of books on the cart at the end of the day, what is the correct starting value for the calculation?

Consider the following scenario: 'A water tank contains 1,500 liters of water at the start of the day. Throughout the morning, 300 liters are used for irrigation. In the afternoon, rainfall adds 250 liters to the tank. Later, another 400 liters are drained for livestock.' To determine the final amount of water, the calculation must begin with the initial quantity, which is ____ liters.

Consider the following scenario: 'A food truck begins its day with 100 hot dogs. They sell 45 during the lunch rush. The owner then cooks 50 more hot dogs in preparation for the dinner crowd.' To solve for the final number of hot dogs, the first step is to perform the calculation 100 - 45.