How to divide negative numbers - GRE Quantitative Reasoning
Card 1 of 40
Find the value of
.

Find the value of .
Tap to reveal answer
To solve for
, divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE 
To solve for , divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
What is
?
What is ?
Tap to reveal answer
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number.
divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number. divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Next, subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Then, divide both sides by
:

Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or 
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract from both sides:
, or
Next, subtract from both sides:
, or
Then, divide both sides by :
Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or
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Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by
on both sides:


Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:

To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by on both sides:
Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:
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Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract
then divide by
:



When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:

To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract then divide by
:
When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Find the value of
.

Find the value of .
Tap to reveal answer
To solve for
, divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE 
To solve for , divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
What is
?
What is ?
Tap to reveal answer
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number.
divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number. divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Next, subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Then, divide both sides by
:

Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or 
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract from both sides:
, or
Next, subtract from both sides:
, or
Then, divide both sides by :
Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by
on both sides:


Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:

To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by on both sides:
Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract
then divide by
:



When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:

To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract then divide by
:
When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Find the value of
.

Find the value of .
Tap to reveal answer
To solve for
, divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE 
To solve for , divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
What is
?
What is ?
Tap to reveal answer
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number.
divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number. divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Next, subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Then, divide both sides by
:

Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or 
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract from both sides:
, or
Next, subtract from both sides:
, or
Then, divide both sides by :
Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by
on both sides:


Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:

To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by on both sides:
Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract
then divide by
:



When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:

To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract then divide by
:
When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Find the value of
.

Find the value of .
Tap to reveal answer
To solve for
, divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE 
To solve for , divide each side of the equation by -2.
is the same as
which is POSITIVE
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
What is
?
What is ?
Tap to reveal answer
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number.
divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
A negative number divided by a negative number always results in a positive number. divided by
equals
. Since the answer is positive, the answer cannot be
or any other negative number.
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Next, subtract
from both sides:
, or 
Then, divide both sides by
:

Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or 
Begin by isolating your variable.
Subtract from both sides:
, or
Next, subtract from both sides:
, or
Then, divide both sides by :
Recall that division of a negative by a negative gives you a positive, therefore:
or
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by
on both sides:


Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:

To solve this equation, you need to isolate the variable on one side. We can accomplish this by dividing by on both sides:
Anytime you divide, if the signs are the same (i.e. two positive, or two negative), you'll get a positive result. If the signs are opposites (i.e. one positive, one negative) then you get a negative.
Both of the numbers here are negative, so we will have a positive result:
← Didn't Know|Knew It →
Solve for
:

Solve for :
Tap to reveal answer
To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract
then divide by
:



When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:

To solve, you need to isolate the variable. We first subtract then divide by
:
When dividing, if the signs of the numbers are the same (i.e. both positive, or both negative), you yield a positive result. If the signs of the numbers are opposites (i.e. one of each), then you yield a negative result.
Therefore:
← Didn't Know|Knew It →