When we multiply one integer by another, we add or subtract as many copies of one integer as indicated by the other.
- 18
Practice makes perfect
We can begin by considering the given product.
- 6( 3)
We want to find the product of - 6 and 3. To do so, we will use a number line. Notice that the first integer, - 6, is negative. This means that to represent the product on the number line, we will remove 6 copies of the second integer, 3. Let's start by drawing an arrow that represents removing 3 from 0!
Notice that the arrow that represents removing 3 one time ends at - 3. In our case, we want to remove 3 six times. Let's mark this on the number line!
Looking at the diagram, we can see that the last arrow ends at - 18. This means that the product of - 6 and 3 is equal to - 18.
Checking Our Answer
Let's check our answer, just to be sure. Recall the rules for the multiplication of integers.
The product of two integers with the same sign is positive.
2* 3=6
Multiplying Integers with Different Signs
The product of two integers with different signs is negative.
2* (- 3)=- 6
Let's take a look at the given product!
- 6( 3)
Notice that the integers in our expression have different signs. This means that their product will have a negative sign. Let's perform the multiplication.
- 6( 3)= - 18
We found that the product of - 6 and 3 is - 18. Our answer was correct!
