MathVine

Multiplying numbers together depends on what signs the numbers have. Whether they are positive, negative, or mixed will dictate how you do it.

Multiplying positives

When you multiply two numbers you are effectively adding one of the numbers together as many times as the other number denotes.

For example, when you calculate 3 x 4, you can add 3 together 4 times:

$3 * 4 = 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12$

You can also add 4 together 3 times:

$3 * 4 = 4 + 4 + 4 = 12$

As you get better at Math, you often just learn math facts and can remember what 6 x 7 is (42) without having to add together the numbers.

Multiplying negatives

When you multiply two negative numbers they effectively cancel each other out to make two positive numbers. For example:

-3 -7 is the same as 3 7, so the answer is 21.

If you have an odd number of negative numbers, the answer will be negative. If you have an even number of negative numbers, the answer will be positive.

So:

$-3 * -2 * -4 = -24$ (negative)

$-2 * -5 * -3 * -6 = 180$ (positive)

Multiplying mixed equations

If you have an equation that has one positive and one negative value in it, then the answer will be negative.

$6 * -7 = -42$ (negative)

If you have an equation with multiple values in it, then the rule is that an odd number of negatives makes the answer negative, and an even number of negatives makes the answer positive.

So:

$-3 * 2 * 6 = -36$ (negative)

$-3 * 2 * 6 * -2 = 72$ (positive)