What do two negatives in a row do?
Priya multiplied -3 by -4 and wrote -12. She remembered that negatives matter, but she got the rule backwards.
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4 lessons for “Multiplying and dividing signed numbers”
Why can't I just add 7 and 5?
Maya added -7 and 5 and got 12. She counted the sizes of both numbers but forgot that they move in opposite directions.
Try this lessonWhat does minus a negative really mean?
Diego saw 5 - (-3) and wrote 2, as if the problem were 5 - 3. But the two minus signs are doing different jobs.
Try this lessonWhich way does the inequality flip?
Sofia divided -2x ≥ 10 by -2 and wrote x ≥ -5, keeping the symbol the way it was. The rule says it flips to ≤.
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Where did the negative sign go?
A negative sign belongs to the number next to it. Keeping that number together can prevent an almost-correct equation from turning into the wrong answer.
Try this lessonWhy do I flip the second fraction?
Amara shared 1/2 of a sandwich into 2/3-sized portions and wrote 1/3. She multiplied by 2/3 instead of flipping it first.
Try this lessonHow many numbers do I divide by?
Mateo found the mean of 4, 8, 6, 5, 7 by adding to 30 and dividing by 4, writing 7.5. There are 5 numbers.
Try this lessonWhich pair of numbers factors x^2 + 7x + 12?
A trinomial like x^2 + 7x + 12 hides a pair of numbers. Find the pair, and the factored form falls into place.
Try this lessonWhy do exponents add when I multiply?
Rafi computed 2^3 * 2^2 by multiplying the exponents: 3 * 2 = 6, so he wrote 2^6 = 64. The exponents should add.
Try this lessonWhy does 18/24 turn into 3/4?
The fraction looks different and describes the same amount. The rule that allows this is the same rule that makes adding fractions possible at all.
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