Answer: 6
Step-by-step explanation: Notice that in this problem, we have a variable that's not only being multiplied by a number, 2 times x, we're also adding 5 to that particular variable.
So to solve this, we must undo what's being done and we must do the same thing to both sides. Remembering that you must work in the reverse order of operations, the first thing that you're going to undo is what you're adding to the variable so to undo the +5, you will subtract 5 from both sides.
The 2x remains, the 5 - 5 cancels and on the right side,
17 -5 is 12 so 2x = 12.
To undo our multiplication we will divide.
2 divided by 2 just gives us the <em>x</em> leftover and our
12 divided by 2 gives us 6.
