Let's go through the steps to solve the equation \( \frac{1}{4}(x + 3) = 5 \).
Step 1: Multiply both sides by 4 to eliminate the fraction.
\[
4 \cdot \frac{1}{4}(x + 3) = 4 \cdot 5
\]
This simplifies to:
\[
x + 3 = 20
\]
Step 2: Now express this result clearly:
\[
x + 3 = 20
\]
Step 3: Subtract 3 from both sides:
\[
x + 3 - 3 = 20 - 3
\]
This simplifies to:
\[
x = 17
\]
Step 4: The final answer is:
\[
x = 17
\]
So to summarize:
- Step 1: \( 4 \cdot \frac{1}{4}(x + 3) = 4 \cdot 5 \)
- Step 2: \( x + 3 = 20 \)
- Step 3: Subtract 3 from both sides, resulting in \( x = 17 \)
- Step 4: \( x = 17 \)