We want to write an algebraic expression for the given verbal expression and solve it. The key phrase in the verbal expression is the quotient of ... and ... This indicates that we should divide two things.
... Ă· ...
The two terms that we are dividing are -65 and -13. Since -65 comes first in the verbal expression, it should be on the left-hand side of the division.
-65 Ă· -13
When dividing real numbers, the quotient will be positive if the signs are the same and it will be negative if the signs are different.
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Same Sign & Different Signs
(+)Ă·(+)=(+) & (+)Ă·(-)=(-)
(-)Ă·(-)=(+) & (-)Ă·(+)=(-)
In our case both numbers are negative, so the quotient will be positive.
