Does a negative times a positive equal a negative?
I already know that a negative times a negative equals a positive and a positive time a positive equals a positive. So what's negative and positive? Please help me. Thanks.
It would make my day if someone could answer my question, "Does a negative times a positive equal a negative?" Thanks so much! :-)
yes it does
Thank you so much Jackie! :-) ^-^
Yes, an example would be...
-7/9x3/5=-7/15
or, since 1 * anything = the same,
1 * -1 = -1
(+) * (-) = (-)
Yes, a negative times a positive does indeed equal a negative.
To understand why, let's start by defining what negative and positive numbers are.
Negative numbers are usually represented with a '-' sign in front of them. They are less than zero and are usually found to the left of zero on the number line. Examples of negative numbers include -1, -2, -3, and so on.
Positive numbers, on the other hand, are greater than zero and are usually found to the right of zero on the number line. They are often written without any sign in front of them. Examples of positive numbers include 1, 2, 3, and so on.
Now, when we multiply a negative number by a positive number, the resulting product is negative. This can be understood from the perspective of the number line.
For example, let's multiply -3 (negative) by 4 (positive):
-3 * 4 = -12
If you look at the number line, -3 is three units to the left of zero, and 4 is four units to the right of zero. When you combine them, you'll find that the product, -12, is twelve units to the left of zero. Hence, it is negative.
In summary:
- A negative times a negative equals a positive.
- A positive times a positive equals a positive.
- A negative times a positive equals a negative.
Remember that multiplication is simply a way of repeated addition. When you multiply negative and positive numbers, you can think of it as adding the absolute values of the numbers and then assigning the appropriate sign based on the rules above.
I hope this clarifies things for you! Let me know if you have any other questions.