How to Multiply and Divide Positive and Negative Integers
It is recorded that since the times before Christ, ancient civilizations used negative integers. Today, they are readily used to calculate temperature and in bookeeping. Here we will go over the simple rules you need to follow when multiplying and dividing positive and negative integers.
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Instructions
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Multiply the factors or divide when you need to multiply and divide positive integers. When you have done that, it is time to look at the signs. In the example below, it would be positive for both of them. In this situation, the result will be positive as well:50 * 5 = 250250 / 5 = 50
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Practice multiplying and dividing negative integers. You just need to multiply the factors or divide. When you have done that, it's time to look at the signs again. In the following example, it would be negative for both of them. In this scenario, the result will be positive because like signs means the result is positive:-50 * -5 = 250 -250 / -5 = 50This is so because you are multiplying or dividing the absolute value of the numbers. The absolute number is the distance from that integer to zero. So - 5 and 5 have the same absolute value!
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Multiply or divide when one of the integers is a negative number and the other is positive. You would multiply or divide the absolute value of the numbers, and when done, look at the signs. In this case, one is positive and the other one negative. This is the only situation in which the result is negative. It doesn't matter if you divide a positive by a negative or a negative by a positive. The result of multiplying or dividing integers with unlike signs is always negative: 50 * -5 = -250-50 * 5 = -250
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