Method

Dividing Integers With the Same Sign

The quotient of dividing an integer a by an integer b is always positive if those integers have the same sign. This means the dividend and the divisor are both negative or both positive. If this condition is met, ignore their signs and perform the division as if they were whole numbers. This will be illustrated using the following division of integers. -15÷(-3) Follow these two steps when dividing two integers with the same sign.

Verify the Signs of the Dividend and the Divisor

If the dividend and the divisor are positive, keep the numbers as they are. On the other hand, if the dividend and the divisor are negative, ignore their sings to reduce the division to a division of two positive integers. In the given example, the signs of the integers will be removed because both are negative. -15÷(-3) ⇔ 15÷ 3 The expression is now a division of two whole numbers.

Find the Quotient Using a Number Line

The quotient can be found by moving to the right starting from zero on a number line. Use intervals the size of the divisor until the dividend is reached. The number of jumps needed to reach the dividend equals the quotient. In this case, move to the right of zero in intervals of 3 since the divisor is 3.

It took 5 jumps of 3 units to reach 15. This means that the quotient of the initial division is 5. 15÷ 3=5 ⇔ -15÷(-3)=5 The quotient of two numbers with the same sign is always positive.

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