Solve Division Problem: Finding Half of -530

Q: Why is the answer negative when I'm dividing by a positive number?

Because we're dividing a negative number by a positive number! The sign rule states: negative ÷ positive = negative. Think of it as splitting -530 into 2 equal parts - each part must be negative.

Q: What if I accidentally wrote 265 instead of -265?

You'd get the wrong answer! Always check: does $ 265 \times 2 = -530 $? No, it equals positive 530. Only $ -265 \times 2 = -530 $ works.

Q: Is there a trick to remember division sign rules?

Same signs = positive, Different signs = negative. Here we have negative ÷ positive (different signs), so the answer is negative!

Q: Can I think of this as finding half of -530?

Absolutely! Half of -530 is exactly what $ \frac{-530}{2} $ means. Since -530 is negative, half of it must also be negative: -265.

Q: What's the difference between -530÷2 and 530÷(-2)?

Both give the same answer: -265! In both cases, you have different signs (one negative, one positive), so the result is negative.

Division Operations with Negative Numbers

Solve the following problem:

$\frac{-530}{2}=$

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Step-by-step written solution

Follow each step carefully to understand the complete solution

Understand the problem

Solve the following problem:

$\frac{-530}{2}=$

Step-by-step solution

Remember that we are dividing a positive number by a negative number, so the result must be a negative number.

We will divide both the numerator and the denominator by the highest number that both are divisible by.

In this case, that number is 2

We will divide the fraction as follows:

$\frac{-530:2}{2:2}=\frac{-265}{1}=-265$

Final Answer

$-265$

Key Points to Remember

Essential concepts to master this topic

Sign Rule: Negative divided by positive equals negative result
Technique: Calculate $\frac{530}{2} = 265$ then apply negative sign
Check: $-265 \times 2 = -530$ confirms our answer ✓

Common Mistakes

Avoid these frequent errors

Forgetting the negative sign in the final answer
Don't calculate 530 ÷ 2 = 265 and stop there = positive 265! This ignores the negative sign completely. Always apply sign rules: negative ÷ positive = negative result.

Practice Quiz

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Write the fraction shown in the picture, in words:

FAQ

Everything you need to know about this question

Why is the answer negative when I'm dividing by a positive number?

Because we're dividing a negative number by a positive number! The sign rule states: negative ÷ positive = negative. Think of it as splitting -530 into 2 equal parts - each part must be negative.

What if I accidentally wrote 265 instead of -265?

You'd get the wrong answer! Always check: does $265 \times 2 = -530$ ? No, it equals positive 530. Only $-265 \times 2 = -530$ works.

Is there a trick to remember division sign rules?

Same signs = positive, Different signs = negative. Here we have negative ÷ positive (different signs), so the answer is negative!

Can I think of this as finding half of -530?

Absolutely! Half of -530 is exactly what $\frac{-530}{2}$ means. Since -530 is negative, half of it must also be negative: -265.

What's the difference between -530÷2 and 530÷(-2)?

Both give the same answer: -265! In both cases, you have different signs (one negative, one positive), so the result is negative.

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