Which is the best first step to write this in standard form?

Answer:
Set the function equal to 0
Step-by-step explanation:
Standard Form of the Quadratic Equation
The form
[tex]ax^2+bx+c=0[/tex]
is called the standard form of a quadratic equation. It can be clearly identified the terms of a second-degree polynomial equated to 0.
The equation is given in the form:
[tex]2(x-4)^2-3=8[/tex]
And we need to operate the expression to make it look like a standard form. The first logical step should be to set the function equal to 0 and then start to operate the resulting expression. It can be done by subtracting 8 on both sides of the equation:
[tex]2(x-4)^2-3-8=0[/tex]
Answer: Set the function equal to 0