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Grade 8 · Number · Integer Multiplication and Division

Reason with Integer Products

The magnitude of an integer product uses whole-number facts. Its sign follows from direction, repeated change, patterns, and the inverse relationship between multiplication and division.

The big idea

The sign carries the direction

Four daily drops of 3 degrees total −12, so 4 × (−3) = −12. Continuing a product pattern shows that multiplying two negatives produces a positive.

Work it through

Evaluate (−6)(−4) and explain

  1. 1. Use the magnitude fact 6 × 4 = 24.
  2. 2. A negative times a positive is negative: (−6)(4) = −24.
  3. 3. As the second factor decreases from 4 toward −4, products increase by 6 each step.
  4. 4. The pattern reaches +24, so (−6)(−4) = 24.