Mastering Signed Numbers: Rules for Multiplying and Dividing

Multiplying/Dividing SIgned Numbers

To multiply or divide integers, firstly ignore the sign and compute the problem, given 2 negatives make a positive, 2 positives make a positive, and one negative, and one positive make a negative attach the correct sign

Multiplying and dividing signed numbers involve applying some straight-forward rules.

To multiply signed numbers, follow these steps:
1. Multiply the absolute value of the numbers.
2. Determine the sign of the answer based on the signs of the numbers:
– If the signs are the same, the answer is positive.
– If the signs are different, the answer is negative.

For example, (-6) x (-4) = 24 because both numbers have the same sign (negative), so the answer is positive.

To divide signed numbers, follow these steps:
1. Divide the absolute value of the numbers.
2. Determine the sign of the answer based on the signs of the numbers:
– If both numbers have the same sign, the answer is positive.
– If the numbers have different signs, the answer is negative.

For example, (-10) ÷ (-2) = 5 because both numbers have the same sign (negative), so the answer is positive.

It is essential to remember that when multiplying or dividing numbers with different signs, the resulting answer will always be negative. The absolute value of the answer will always be the same as the value obtained from performing the arithmetic operation.

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