Algebra Practice Test 2025 – The Complete Guide to Mastering Your Exam Success!

When you multiply two negative numbers, the result is a positive number. This phenomenon occurs due to the fundamental rules of multiplication and the way signs work in mathematics.

To understand why multiplying two negatives results in a positive, consider the concept of opposites. A negative number can be thought of as an "opposite" of a positive number. When you multiply two numbers, you are effectively determining how many times to take the first number in the direction of the second number. If you reverse direction (as indicated by a negative), and then reverse it again (by having another negative), you end up in the positive direction.

A practical way to visualize this is through a number line. If you have –2 (or two steps in the negative direction) and you multiply it by –3 (or reversing the negative direction three times), the two reversals lead you back to a positive direction, specifically +6.

Thus, the result of multiplying two negative numbers is indeed a positive number.