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Negative numbers can be a bit tricky when you're just starting out. They are numbers less than zero and are marked with a minus sign (-). Think of negative numbers as being in the opposite direction of positive numbers on the number line. For instance, -5 is five steps to the left of zero.

Negative numbers are used to represent losses, temperatures below freezing, or anything that can go below zero. They're essential in both everyday life and advanced mathematics. Simply put, they're just the other side of the positive numbers.

Division is the process of determining how many times one number is contained within another. When you divide, you are essentially asking: 'How many groups of this size can we make from this number?'

For example, dividing 10 by 2 gives you 5, because you can make five groups of 2 out of 10. The division operation is represented by the symbol (÷) or a slash (/). The number you are dividing is called the dividend, and the number you are dividing by is called the divisor. The result of the division is known as the quotient.

It's important to ensure you're comfortable with division of positive numbers before jumping into dividing negative numbers.

When performing any mathematical operation with negative numbers, one crucial rule is remembering how negatives interact with one another. Let's focus on division here. The basic rule for division involving negative numbers is:

* When dividing two numbers with the same sign, whether both are positive or both are negative, the result (quotient) is positive.
* When dividing two numbers with different signs, the result is negative.


Therefore, in the example given (-162 ÷ -1), both numbers are negative. According to our rule, the result is positive. Thus, -162 divided by -1 equals 162. This principle holds true for any pair of negative numbers.

By understanding these rules, you simplify the process of dealing with negative numbers across all math operations.