Calculate: (p-9.71)/(-2)=-3.05

Expression: $\frac{ p-9.71 }{ -2 }=-3.05$

Convert the decimal into a fraction

$\frac{ p-\frac{ 971 }{ 100 } }{ -2 }=-3.05$

Write all numerators above the common denominator

$\frac{ \frac{ 100p-971 }{ 100 } }{ -2 }=-3.05$

Use $\frac{ -a }{ b }=\frac{ a }{ -b }=-\frac{ a }{ b }$ to rewrite the fraction

$-\frac{ \frac{ 100p-971 }{ 100 } }{ 2 }=-3.05$

Simplify the complex fraction

$-\frac{ 100p-971 }{ 200 }=-3.05$

Multiply both sides of the equation by $-200$

$100p-971=610$

Move the constant to the right-hand side and change its sign

$100p=610+971$

Add the numbers

$100p=1581$

Divide both sides of the equation by $100$

$\begin{align*}&p=\frac{ 1581 }{ 100 } \\&\begin{array} { l }p=15 \frac{ 81 }{ 100 },& p=15.81\end{array}\end{align*}$