When I multiple two negative numbers together is my answer positive or negative?

My favourite way to remember whether my answer is positive or negative when I multiply two numbers is to think of the following:

a) If you multiply two numbers with the SAME sign (i.e. two positive numbers or two negative numbers) the result will be POSITIVE.

+  x  +  = +

-  x  -  =  +

b) If you multiple two numbers with OPPOSITE signs the result will be NEGATIVE. 

-  x  +  = +

+  x  -  =  + 

For example:

a)

6  x  2  = 12

-6  x -2  = 12

b)

-6  x  2  =  -12

6  x  -2  =  -12

HS

Related Maths GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Expand 4e(e + 2)


Adam is going to get a loan of £ 720 to help pay for the holiday. Adam will have to pay back the £ 720 plus interest of 15 %. He will pay this back in 12 equal monthly installments. How much money will Adam pay back each month?


13 - 3 × 4+2 Simple question that lots of people get wrong


In a village the number of houses and the number of flats are in the ratio 7 : 4. The number of flats and the number of bungalows are in the ratio 8 : 5 . There are 50 bungalows in the village. How many houses are there in the village?