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

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the operation to be performed. The problem asks to find the product of -7.2 and 0.8, which means we need to multiply these two numbers.
2. Recall that multiplication of two numbers is done by multiplying their absolute values and then applying the sign rules. Since one number is negative and the other is positive, the product will be negative.
3. Set up the multiplication expression as \(-7.2 \times 0.8\).
4. Multiply the absolute values: calculate \(7.2 \times 0.8\) by treating them as decimal numbers.
5. Apply the negative sign to the result from step 4 to get the final product.

Key Concepts

Multiplication of Real Numbers

Multiplying real numbers involves combining their magnitudes and considering their signs. When multiplying a negative number by a positive number, the product is negative. For example, multiplying -7.2 by 0.8 results in a negative product because one factor is negative.

Decimal Multiplication

Decimal multiplication requires multiplying the numbers as if they were whole numbers, then placing the decimal point in the product. The total number of decimal places in the product equals the sum of decimal places in the factors. This ensures accurate calculation of products involving decimals.

Product and Quotient in Arithmetic

The product is the result of multiplication, while the quotient is the result of division. Understanding when to multiply or divide is essential. In this question, the focus is on finding the product of two numbers, which means multiplying them directly.