Clearing One Denominator

To solve $\frac{x}{5}+2 = 6$, you could subtract 2 from both sides and then multiply both sides by 5. There is another way. You can clear the denominator first: multiply every term on both sides by 5. This removes the fraction before you get $x$ on its own.

$$\frac{5x}{5}+5\cdot 2 = 5\cdot 6$$

$$x+10 = 30$$

$$x = 20$$

Multiplying by 5 removed the fraction, and the rest is an equation with whole numbers.

Every term gets multiplied by 5, not only the fraction. The 2 became 10 and the 6 became 30. If you miss a term, the two sides are no longer equal. After the multiplication there are no fractions left, and you solve the rest the way you already know.