1. The problem is to solve the equation $2x + 3 = 7$ for $x$. 2. The formula used here is to isolate $x$ by performing inverse operations. We subtract 3 from both sides to undo the addition, then divide both sides by 2 to undo the multiplication. 3. Subtract 3 from both sides: $$2x + 3 - 3 = 7 - 3$$ which simplifies to $$2x = 4$$ 4. Divide both sides by 2: $$\frac{2x}{2} = \frac{4}{2}$$ which simplifies to $$x = 2$$ 5. Therefore, the solution to the equation $2x + 3 = 7$ is $x = 2$. This means when $x$ is 2, the original equation holds true.