Rules for Multiplying Negatives
We may have positive and negative numbers when doing with entities in multiplication. There are some common rules for multiplying numbers.
| Example | |||
|
two positive signs make a positive sign: | 
|
4 × 5 = 20 |
|
two negatives signs make a positive signs: |
|
(−4) × (−5) = 20 |
|
a negative signs and positive signs make a negative sign: |
|
(−4) × 5 = −20 |
|
positive signs and negative signs make a negative sign: |
|
4 × (−5) = −20 |
Note
- As we know that “+” is the positive sign
- And “−” is the negative sign.
- When a number has no sign, it normally indicates it’s positive.
For example, 6 is really +6
We can use pair of brackets () around the numbers to avoid confusion.
For example, 6 × −5 can be written as 6 × (−5)