Explain how to solve an equation of the form x^p/q = a for nonzero integers x, p, q, and a. What is x in terms of a, p, and q?

The salesperson earns a 5% commission on the first $5,000 she has in sales. the salesperson earns a 7.5% commission on the amount of her sales that are greater than $5,000. this month the sales person had $8,000 in sales. what amount of commission, in dollars, did she earn?