Question

How do you evaluate `-4\div -36`?

Answer 1

`-4/1 ÷ -36/1` = `-4/1 * 1/-36` = `-4/-36` = `4/36` = `1/9`

Explanation:

-4 can be rewritten as `-4/1` and -36 as `-36/1`. When dividing by a fraction you can multiply by its reciprocal, the reciprocal of `-36/1` being `1/-36`.

So you can multiply `-4/1 * 1/-36` = `-4/-36`. When dividing or multiplying two negative numbers they become positive. So `-4/-36` becomes `4/36`.

To simplify both sides can be divided by `4/4` which is equal to one. `4/4 = 1` and `36/4 = 9` so the answer is `1/9`.