Part 3/7:
These basic examples illustrate how integrating negative numbers affects the outcome of multiplication. The transition to multiplying two negative numbers helps unravel the underlying logic of the rule in question.
Negative Times Negative: Why Does it Equal Positive?
Let’s delve deeper into the multiplication of two negative numbers. Consider:
- (-3) * (-4).
To analyze this operation, we approach it by removing one of the negatives and focusing on the absolute values first. If we rearrange the terms, we see it as -3 * -4, which can be looked at differently: