What does a positive number multiplied by a negative number equal?

Answer 1

A negative times a positive equals a negative.

For example

2 x -16=-32

A negative times a negative equals a positive

For example

-2 x -16=32

A positive times a positive equals a positive

For example

2 x 16=32

Remember that this rule only applies to multiplication and it doesn't matter if the smaller number has the negative sign or the bigger number has the negative sign; It will still be a negative. Also remember that it doesn't matter whether its a negative times a positive or a positive times a negative ; It remains a negative regardless of the order of the signs. Lastly remember that a negative times a negative will always be a positive and a positive times a positive will always be a positive.

For example

-2 x 105=-210

105 x -2=-210

2 x -105=-210

-105 x 2=-210

105 x 2 =210

-105 x -2 =210

So this means that a negative times a positive will always equal a negative, a negative times a negative will always equal a positive, and a positive times a positive will always equal a positive.

Now if you were dealing with more than two numbers with both negative and positive signs, the easiest way to know whether the answer will come up as a negative or positive is to imagine two negative signs merging into a positive sign and any remaining negative sign that does have another negative sign to pair with remains a negative;You can only combine negative signs in pairs(for example -2 x -2 x -2=4 x -2=-8).Now if you have a situation where you were able to pair up all of the negative signs into positives signs and have no negative signs left over, then the answer will be a positive (for example -2 x -2 x -2 x -2 x 2=16 x 2=32).