1. **Stating the problem:** We want to solve a simple algebraic example: Solve for $x$ in the equation $2x + 3 = 7$. 2. **Formula and rules:** To solve for $x$, we use the rule of isolating the variable by performing inverse operations. 3. **Step 1:** Subtract 3 from both sides to isolate the term with $x$: $$2x + 3 - 3 = 7 - 3$$ which simplifies to $$2x = 4$$ 4. **Step 2:** Divide both sides by 2 to solve for $x$: $$\frac{2x}{\cancel{2}} = \frac{4}{\cancel{2}}$$ which simplifies to $$x = 2$$ 5. **Answer:** The solution is $x = 2$. This example shows how to isolate the variable step-by-step using inverse operations.