1. **State the problem:** Simplify the expression $10c + c^2 - 3c^3$. 2. **Identify terms:** The expression contains three terms: $10c$, $c^2$, and $-3c^3$. 3. **Check for like terms:** Each term has a different power of $c$ ($c^1$, $c^2$, and $c^3$), so they cannot be combined further. 4. **Final simplified expression:** Since no like terms can be combined, the simplified form is exactly the same as the original: $$10c + c^2 - 3c^3$$ This is a polynomial in $c$ of degree 3.