Mr. Lake's Math Site

Multiplying and Dividing Positive and Negative Numbers​

The rules for multiplying and dividing with negative numbers is really easy.  Two of them cancel, if it is just one negative, then it stays negative.  This works for multiplying and for dividing.  

example:

-8*-7=56  The two negative numbers cancelled each other out.

-27/-9=3  The negative cancel out, so you just divide normally.

-64/8=-8  There is only one negative, so it rides along and the answer stays negative.

5*-3=-15 There is only one negative here, so the negative rides along, and the answer stays negative.

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