Dividing negative and positive numbers follows the same rules as multiplying negative and positive numbers. There are 3 simple rules:
Rule 1: A positive number divided by a positive number equals a positive number.
This is the division you have been doing all along. For example: 16 / 4 = 4. We don’t place + in front of the numbers. It’s assumed no sign in front of the number means positive.
Rule 2: A positive number divided by a negative number equals a negative number.
When you divide a negative number by a positive number, your answer is a negative number. As with multiplication, it doesn’t matter which order the positive and negative numbers are in, the answer is always a negative number.
For example: -8 /2 = -4.
And, the answer is still -4, when 8 is divided by -2.
Rule 3: a negative number divided by a negative number equals a positive number.
Two negatives make a positive, so a negative number divided by a negative number equals a positive number.
For example, -8 / -2 = 4.
Here are the rules to remember when dividing negative and positive numbers:
