When multiplying two rational numbers, how is the sign of the product determined? (1 point)
The sign of the product is determined by the signs of the two rational numbers being multiplied. The product of two rational numbers with the same sign (both positive or both negative) is positive. The product of two rational numbers with different signs (one positive and one negative) is negative.
To determine the sign of the product when multiplying two rational numbers, you need to consider the signs of the two rational numbers being multiplied.
If both numbers have the same sign (both positive or both negative), the product will be positive.
If the two numbers have different signs (one positive and one negative), the product will be negative.
When multiplying two rational numbers, the sign of the product is determined by the signs of the numbers being multiplied.
To understand this, let's first consider the rules for multiplying positive and negative numbers:
- When you multiply two positive numbers, the product is positive.
- When you multiply two negative numbers, the product is positive as well.
- When you multiply a positive number by a negative number, the product is negative.
- When you multiply a negative number by a positive number, again, the product is negative.
Now, when multiplying two rational numbers, we consider their signs as follows:
- If both numbers are positive, their product will be positive.
- If both numbers are negative, again, their product will be positive.
- If one number is positive and the other is negative, their product will be negative.
To determine the sign of the product, you don't necessarily need to perform the multiplication. Instead, you can simply observe the signs of the numbers being multiplied and apply the appropriate rule.