Answer:
[tex]a=-\frac{3}{4}[/tex]
Step-by-step explanation:
[tex]\frac{5}{8}=\frac{1}{2}\left(a+2\right)\\\\Switch\: sides\\\frac{1}{2}\left(a+2\right)=\frac{5}{8}\\\\\mathrm{Multiply\:both\:sides\:by\:}2\\2\times\frac{1}{2}\left(a+2\right)=\frac{5\times\:2}{8}\\\\Simplify\\a+2=\frac{5}{4}\\\\\mathrm{Subtract\:}2\mathrm{\:from\:both\:sides}\\a+2-2=\frac{5}{4}-2\\\\Simplify\\a=-\frac{3}{4}[/tex]
Check
[tex]\frac{5}{8} = \frac{1}{2}\left(-\frac{3}{4}+2\right) \\\\\mathrm{Multiply\:fractions}:\\\\\quad \:a\times\frac{b}{c}=\frac{a\:\times \:b}{c}\\\\\frac{5}{8}=\frac{1\times \left(-\frac{3}{4}+2\right)}{2}\\\\\frac{5}{8}=\frac{1\times\left(-\frac{3}{4}+2\right)}{2}\\\frac{5}{8}=\frac{-\frac{3}{4}+2}{2}\\\\\mathrm{Join}\:-\frac{3}{4}+2:\quad \frac{5}{4}\\\frac{5}{8}=\frac{\frac{5}{4}}{2}\\\\\frac{5}{8}=\frac{5}{4\times\:2}\\\\\frac{5}{8}=\frac{5}{8}[/tex]
