Answer:
x = -1
Explanation:
The key thing to remember is that every operation you do on either side needs to be done on the other.
Let's start by getting rid of that -2 you can do that by adding 2 to both sides of the equals sign:
5x - 2 = -7
5x - 2 + 2 = -7 + 2
5x - 0 = -5
5x = -5
The next step is to get rid of that 5 on the left. We can do that by dividing both sides by 5:
5x = -5
5x ÷ 5 = -5 ÷ 5
x = -1
And there you have it! x is equal to negative one.