What happens if the denominator is negative

Thinking in terms of a number line, a number and its negative will always be on opposite sides of zero, and at equal distances from zero. If I negate a number twice, it flips to the other size of zero twice, which puts it right back where it started. So, if it is subtraction and a negitive has a around it, it flips to addition and it turns positive? The parentheses are only there to help clarify things.

Two negative signs in a row cancel each other out, with or without parentheses, as long as no other variable or number is between the two negatives:.

If so, why negative numbers is used in fractions. Negative sign on a fraction help. Very short and simple. God Bless! Or are you asking about a situation that has multiple terms, one of which is a negative fraction? I think this would affect the slope majorly but I am not sure, I was wondering if it would affect it and how would one know which number the negative sign is on whether the 3 or the 5. Now start from 5, -3 , and this time put the negative sign by the 5, so Rise by 3, then Run by -5… you are back at the origin.

This tells you that the two slopes are equivalent, since they both keep you on the same line. No matter which version you use, if you move from one point on the line using that slope you will end up at another point that DOES lie on the line… although perhaps in the other direction from the starting point.

Debra, What you typed can be simplified, but not solved, as it does not include a variable or an equal sign with something on the other side.

I am unsure whether you intended the expression to be a single fraction, as in Or interpreted as your calculator would They will have different results.

You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Why is negative times a negative positive? If you are multiplying some collection of numbers, if the count of negative numbers is even or zero, then the result will be positive. If it is odd, the result will be negative.

So with three negative numbers, the result will be negative. Myesha Payerl Teacher. How do you find the numerator and denominator of a fraction? The numerator is the top number in a fraction. The denominator is the bottom number in a fraction. Jessica Wotherspoon Teacher. Is zero a positive integer? An integer is a whole number that can be either greater than 0, called positive , or less than 0, called negative.

Zero is neither positive nor negative. Two integers that are the same distance from the origin in opposite directions are called opposites. Salley Ephros Reviewer. Is a rational number? Rational Number. A rational number is any number that can be expressed as a ratio of two integers hence the name " rational ".

For example, 1. Ask A Question. Co-authors: 3. Updated On: 5th November, Views: Similar Asks. The top number is the numerator, which tells you how many parts of the whole the fraction represents. If a fraction has a negative number as its denominator, it's easy to convert it into a positive. The fraction is now.

If possible, reduce the fraction to its simplest form. The fraction in its simplest form is. Remember, a fraction with a negative sign anywhere is a negative fraction; in other words, it represents a negative quantity.