Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS) Basic Math Placement Practice Test

When dividing a negative number by a negative number, what is the result?

1. A positive number

2. A negative number

3. Zero

4. Undefined

The correct answer is: A positive number

When you divide a negative number by another negative number, the result is a positive number. This is based on the rules of arithmetic regarding the signs of numbers. Specifically, when you divide two numbers with the same sign (both negative in this case), the result is always positive. For example, if you take -10 and divide it by -2, the calculation looks like this: -10 ÷ -2 = 5. Here, both numbers are negative, and the result is positive. This rule holds true no matter what the negative values are, as long as the divisor (the number you're dividing by) is also negative. Thus, the outcome of dividing a negative by a negative leads to a positive result, confirming that the correct answer is indeed a positive number.