When multiplying a negative number by a positive number, what is the outcome?

When multiplying a negative number by a positive number, the outcome will always be negative. This is a fundamental rule in mathematics regarding the multiplication of signed numbers.

The reason for this is rooted in the definition of multiplication as scaling. When you multiply a number by a positive number, you are essentially scaling that number. However, when you multiply a negative number, you are flipping the direction on the number line. For example, if you take -3 and multiply it by 4, you are moving in the negative direction away from zero to -12.

This rule consistently holds true across all negative and positive number combinations. Therefore, the correct answer is that the product will be negative.