Question

Why is a negative number times a negative number a positive number?

Answer 1

the product of two negatives is a positive is therefore related to the fact that the inverse of the inverse of a positive number is that positive number back again.

Answer 2

Could you please be a little more specific than that? I don't exactly follow your argument.

Answer 3

ok,
every number has an "additive inverse" , e.g. 3 has an additive inverse of -3

Answer 4

think of it like this 4x-2 means four groups of negative 2. that could mean you are adding on a debt of two dollars 4 times. you would owe 8 dollars

-4x-2 would then mean you are taking away a debt of 2 dollars 4 times. you would have 8 dollars then

Answer 5

now it's from the fundamental properties of operations on numbers is that : the inverse of an inverse = the original number , as an example: 3 ==> it's additive inverse =-3 ==> inverse of the inverse = - (-3) = 3