HOW TO SOLVE 3X= -5 THEN X= with all work shown plez,...

The first response is correct, but I thought I'd add a little bit about how I think about it just in case it's helpful.

Whenever I'm doing an algebra problem like this, where

x = something

the first thing I think about is "how can I separate x from the other numbers?" In this case in order to isolate "x" I have to figure out how to move the 3 to the other side.

Next to the x, 3 is a whole number or 3/1. But when I move it to the other side I have to change it. Like the original poster, I could call it 1/3 or I could say that it becomes the denominator (bottom number) of whatever whole number is already on that side. So it becomes:

1/3 of -5

or

1/3 x -5

or

-5/3

Sometimes I think about it in terms of "if I multiply the number on one side, then when I move it to the other side, I must divide." (inverse operation)  Or, "whatever I do to one side, I must do to the other."

For example, if you had 1/5x = 2, you would multiple both sides by 5 in order to isolate the x.

I hope that's helpful. That's how I think of it.