Division Of Positive And Negative Numbers

When you have finished this page, try the Division of Positive and Negative Numbers Quiz.

Dividing positive and negative numbers have some special rules.

- divided by - is a positive
- divided by + is a negative
+ divided by - is a negative
+ divided by + is a positive

• When two positive numbers are divided, the answer is a positive number 15/3 = 5
• When a positive and negative number are divided, the answer is a negative number: -15/3 = -5 or 15/-3 = -5
• When two negative numbers are divided, the answer is a positive number: -15/-3 = 5

The first example on the number line is a familiar one - fifteen divided by three equals five. The illustration shows a line above the number line that get divided into three parts that are five long.

In the second example, negative fifteen divided by three, the line is fifteen long on the left side of the number line. The negative fifteen is then divided into three equal parts of five in length.

 

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