Find each product or quotient where possible. See Example 2. -7.2 0.8

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the operation needed to solve the problem. Since the problem states 'product or quotient', determine if you need to multiply or divide the given numbers.
2. Recognize that a 'product' refers to multiplication and a 'quotient' refers to division.
3. Given the numbers -7.2 and 0.8, decide whether to multiply or divide them based on the context or instructions provided in Example 2.
4. If the operation is multiplication, calculate the product by multiplying -7.2 and 0.8. If the operation is division, calculate the quotient by dividing -7.2 by 0.8.
5. Ensure to consider the signs of the numbers. Multiplying or dividing a negative number by a positive number will result in a negative result.

Key Concepts

Multiplication of Real Numbers

Multiplication of real numbers involves combining two numbers to produce a product. The product is found by multiplying the absolute values of the numbers and determining the sign based on the rules: a positive times a positive is positive, a negative times a negative is positive, and a negative times a positive is negative. For example, multiplying -7.2 by 0.8 results in a negative product.

Division of Real Numbers

Division of real numbers is the process of determining how many times one number is contained within another. Similar to multiplication, the sign of the quotient depends on the signs of the numbers involved: a positive divided by a positive is positive, a negative divided by a negative is positive, and a negative divided by a positive is negative. Understanding this concept is crucial for finding quotients accurately.

Order of Operations

The order of operations is a set of rules that dictates the sequence in which mathematical operations should be performed to ensure consistent results. The common acronym PEMDAS (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, Addition and Subtraction) helps remember this order. In problems involving both multiplication and division, operations should be performed from left to right as they appear.