Answer: See steps below.
Explanation:
Ignoring the dollar signs and assuming this is what you meant:
-5x+1=31
First, we need to isolate the variable, x. Remember that whatever you do to one side of the equation, you have to do on the other side, as well. (The equation is separated by the equal sign)
First, let's subtract the 1 from -5x+1. We subtract because the 1 is positive, as shown by the plus sign in front of it. The point is to make the 1 disappear, and how do we do that? We turn it into 0. To do so, we have to do its inverse (or opposite) operation, which--because the 1 is positive- - is subtraction.
Because we subtracted 1 from this side of the equation, we must do the same on the other.
31-1=30
So, we get -5x=30.
Now, the point is to isolate x. So we need to make that -5 disappear. However, as it's being multiplied with x, we need to do its inverse operation, division.
-5x÷-5=x
Remember, we also need to do it to the 30 on the other side of the equation.
30÷-5=-6
So, we end up with the equation
x=-6
That's your answer! (Sorry if I was longwinded, I like people to really understand it.)