Perform any operations possible on the given equation; for example, in the equation 3x/8 + 5x/15 = 3/4 + (1 1/2), the term 5x/15 reduces to x/3, and (1 1/2) converts to the improper fraction: 3/2, yielding: 3x/8 + x/3 = 3/4 + 3/2. Find the common denominator by factoring each denominator and multiplying them out: 2 * 2 * 2 * 3 = 24.
Multiply each numerator (top number) and denominator in the equation by the number needed to get a product in the denominator equal to the common denominator: ((3/3) 3x/8) + ((8/8) x/3) = ((6/6) 3/4) + ((12/12) 3/2) which results in: 9x/24 + 8x/24 = 18/24 + 36/24. Combine like terms: 17x/24 = 54/24.
Multiply both sides of the equation by the denominator to get rid of it: ((24/1)17x/24) = ((24/1)54/24). The common denominator cancels out in the multiplication process, resulting in the whole number equation: 17x = 54.