1. **State the problem:** Francesca has one-third of her babysitting earnings left after spending $14.65 on a movie and popcorn and $1.35 on a pen. We need to find how much she earned in total. 2. **Define variables:** Let $x$ be the total amount Francesca earned from babysitting. 3. **Set up the equation:** She has one-third of her earnings left after spending $14.65 + 1.35 = 16$ dollars. This means the money left is $\frac{1}{3}x$ and the money spent is $16$, so the total earnings satisfy: $$x = 16 + \frac{1}{3}x$$ 4. **Solve the equation:** Subtract $\frac{1}{3}x$ from both sides: $$x - \frac{1}{3}x = 16$$ Simplify the left side: $$\frac{2}{3}x = 16$$ Multiply both sides by $\frac{3}{2}$ to isolate $x$: $$x = 16 \times \frac{3}{2} = 24$$ 5. **Interpret the result:** Francesca earned $24$ from babysitting. **Final answer:** $24$