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That's because it is defined to be that way. This definition is quite logical; consider the following sequence:

3 x 10 = 30

2 x 10 = 20

1 x 10 = 10

0 x 10 = 0

-1 x 10 = ???

What number would you expect to replace the question marks? Look for a pattern. The numbers in the first column decrease by one at a time; the numbers in the last column decrease by ten at a time in this example, so you would expect the next number to be -10.

Defining multiplication this way makes many mathematical laws consistent, not only for positive numbers, but only for negative numbers - for example, the distributive law.

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Q: Why Does a positive number times a negative number equal a negative?
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