# Simplifying Fractions Containing Variables (Basic) I appreciate this is very simple, but I'm experiencing a very basic problem with fractions containing variables and I'd just like to check I'm along the right lines. In the following instance: (2(x+7)(3x+1))/(2)=(2)/(2)*(2(x+7)(3x+1))/(1) = (x+7)(3x+1) Does the (2(x+7)(3x+1))/(1) have a denominator of 1 because we have factored out the 2 in the prior step?

Simplifying Fractions Containing Variables (Basic)
I appreciate this is very simple, but I'm experiencing a very basic problem with fractions containing variables and I'd just like to check I'm along the right lines. In the following instance:
$\frac{2\left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)}{2}=\frac{2}{2}\cdot \frac{2\left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)}{1}=\left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)$
Does the $\frac{2\left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)}{1}$ have a denominator of 1 because we have factored out the 2 in the prior step?
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benyaep17
You made a mistake, you have:
$\frac{2\left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)}{2}=\frac{2}{2}\cdot \frac{\left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)}{1}=1\cdot \left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)=\left(x+7\right)\left(3x+1\right)$