Final answer:
The first step in finding the value of x in the equation 2x + 3 = 5 is to subtract 3 from each side of the equation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first step in finding the value of x in the equation 2x + 3 = 5 is to subtract 3 from each side of the equation. This step is necessary to isolate x on one side of the equation.
Subtracting 3 from each side of the equation gives us 2x = 5 - 3, which simplifies to 2x = 2.
By subtracting 3 from each side, we have simplified the equation and can now move on to further simplifications or solve for x.