Operations with Negatives

It''s always a little daunting when we start to work with negative numbers for the first time. But as we will see, operations with negative numbers are deceptively simple. Follow along, and you''ll soon be solving equations that contain negatives without breaking a sweat!

How negatives work

If you add the same positive number to any negative number, the result will always be zero.

In other words:

or

The same logic applies to positive numbers:

Multiplying and dividing with negatives

But what happens when we multiply and divide negatives? Let''s start with multiplying:

As long as one number is negative, the product is always negative. But if both signs are the same (either two negatives or two positives), the product is always positive.

What about division?

Once again, if the signs are the same, the quotient is always positive. If one number has a negative sign, the quotient is negative:

Topics related to the Operations with Negatives

Opposites

Adding and Subtracting Negatives

Ratios

Flashcards covering the Operations with Negatives

7th Grade Math Flashcards

Common Core: 7th Grade Math Flashcards

Practice tests covering the Operations with Negatives

MAP 7th Grade Math Practice Tests

Common Core: 7th Grade Math Diagnostic Tests

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