To solve the equation $2x + 1 = 5$, we’ll isolate $x$ by performing the following steps:

Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Subtract 1 from both sides: $2x + 1 - 1 = 5 - 1$ $2x = 4$

2. Divide both sides by 2: $\frac{2x}{2} = \frac{4}{2}$ $x = 2$

Final Answer:

$x = 2$

Would you like further details or have any questions about this solution?

Here are some related questions to explore:

1. How would you solve $3x + 2 = 11$?
2. What steps would change if we had $2x - 1 = 5$ instead?
3. How can you check the solution to an equation like this?
4. What if the equation was $2x + 1 = 0$; what would $x$ be?
5. How does adding a constant term affect solving a linear equation?

Tip: When solving linear equations, aim to isolate the variable step-by-step using inverse operations (addition/subtraction, multiplication/division).