How much does a fish weigh if it weighs 5 pounds plus one-half of its weight?

Let the weight of the fish be represented as ( x ). According to the problem, ( x = 5 + \frac{1}{2}x ). To solve for ( x ), subtract (\frac{1}{2}x) from both sides, giving ( \frac{1}{2}x = 5 ). Multiplying both sides by 2, we find that ( x = 10 ) pounds.