This hole Backspacing and offset thing just confuses the crap out of people.
A 8" wide wheel with a 4.5" backspacing has the mounting surface in the middle of the wheel. 0 offset. Basically adding a 1/2" for the lip where the tire hits. An 8" wheel is pretty much 9" lip to lip. Backspacing is fromt he mounting surface to the edge of the rim.
So a 9" rim with 4.5" backspacing, 10" rim, has 4.5" on the inside and 5.5" on the outside.
A 10" wheel with 5" which is 11" lip to lip. So you have 5" on the inside and 6" on the outside.
So basically you are going to have a 1/2" more on the inside an outside.
If you use a 1/2" spacer, basically you are removing backspacing so you would have 4.5" on the inside and 6.5" on the outside. Pushing the wheel out 1" further than where you are now.
Offset is from the center of the rim to the mounting surface.