# How do you evaluate -3\cdot \frac { 3} { - 8} \cdot \frac { - 2} { 7}?

$- \frac{9}{28}$

#### Explanation:

Let's first put that first $- 3$ into a fractional form to help keep our numerators and denominators straight:

$- \frac{3}{1} \times \frac{3}{- 8} \times \frac{- 2}{7}$

Let's do the negative signs first.

Here's the thing:

$- \frac{1}{2} = \frac{- 1}{2} = \frac{1}{- 2}$

It doesn't matter where the negative sign is in the fraction - if there is one negative sign, the fraction is negative. In our question, there are three fractions, all of which are negative, and so we have:

$\left(- 1\right) \times \left(- 1\right) \times \left(- 1\right) = - 1$ - our answer is going to be negative.

Now we can focus on the fractions themselves:

$\frac{3}{1} \times \frac{3}{8} \times \frac{2}{7}$

Let's cancel where we can:

$\frac{3}{1} \times \frac{3}{\cancel{8}} ^ 4 \times \frac{\cancel{2}}{7} = \frac{9}{28}$

Let's not forget that negative sign! So the final answer is $- \frac{9}{28}$