What is the result of multiplying a positive number by a negative number?

When multiplying a positive number by a negative number, the result is always a negative number. This occurs because of the fundamental properties of multiplication regarding the signs of numbers.

In mathematics, one way to understand this is to consider the concept of direction. Positive numbers can be thought of as representing a forward direction, while negative numbers represent a backward direction. When you multiply a positive number by a negative number, you are essentially taking a quantity in the positive direction and applying an influence that is in the opposite direction (negative), resulting in a negative outcome.

Additionally, this concept can be verified through examples. For instance, if you multiply 3 (a positive number) by -2 (a negative number), the result will be -6, which is indeed negative. This consistent outcome across different examples reinforces the understanding that the product of a positive and a negative number will never yield a positive or zero result, making the selection of a negative number the correct choice in this scenario.