Short Answer 
To solve the equation 12 = 13x + 5, first subtract 5 from both sides to get 7 = 13x, and then divide both sides by 13 to find x = 21. This process utilizes the Subtraction and Multiplication Properties of Equality to isolate the variable.
Step 1: Identify the Given Statement
The first step in solving the equation is to acknowledge your initial statement. In this case, the given equation is 12 = 13x + 5. This sets the foundation for your reasoning and allows you to proceed by applying various algebraic methods to isolate the variable.
Step 2: Apply the Subtraction Property of Equality
Next, apply the Subtraction Property of Equality to simplify the equation. This property allows you to subtract the same value from both sides of the equation to maintain equality. In this instance, you would subtract 5 from both sides, resulting in 7 = 13x.
Step 3: Solve for the Variable Using Multiplication
The final step is to solve for the variable x using the Multiplication Property of Equality. You can do this by dividing both sides of the equation by 13. Thus, you find that x = 21. The confirmation of this answer can be visually checked by substituting it back into the original equation.