# Math Help - Really quick question, should be easy for most people

1. ## Really quick question, should be easy for most people

Hi,

I have a real quick question. I suck at math and this popped up while finding a derivative. I am not sure if this should be in this part of the board or not, but I am putting it here cause this corresponds to the math level where this popped up.

If I have 3(2x+h)/h, would it be permissible to cancel out the h and leave 3*2x=6x, or is this incorrect?

2. This would be incorrect because if you expand it:

3(2x+h)/h

= (6x + 3h)/h

= 6x/h + 3h/h

= 6x/h +3

The h can only be canceled out if every term in the numerator had an h.
Hope this helps!

3. Ah, right, I see. I knew something was feeling wrong about it, but didnt know what. I'm not a good math person, but I know when I am prolly doing something wrong. Thank you.

Going back, I think I see where I might've went the wrong way.

I end up with $6xh+3h^2/h$

Can this be simplified to $6x+3?$ Cause what I did was just take out the h from the $3h^2$...

4. Originally Posted by Torlot
Going back, I think I see where I might've went the wrong way.

I end up with $6xh+3h^2/h$

Can this be simplified to $6x+3?$ Cause what I did was just take out the h from the $3h^2$...
$\frac{6xh + 3h^2}{h} = \frac{h (6x + 3h)}{h} = \frac{\not{h} (6x + 3h)}{\not{h}} = 6x + 3h$.

It would be better if you posted the whole question ..... Otherwise who knows whether you're even meant to have $\frac{6xh + 3h^2}{h}$ as part of the working ....