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$\begingroup$
x = -8 y = 12 

I was told to calculate the rate of x according to y, and viceversa. So what I did was divide them.

x/y = -0.66 y/x = -1.5 

My question is rather straightforward: Is this right?

I am just unsure if there can be negative rates. For instance, I though that since y is greater than x, y I would get a positive rate.

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    @RobertMiller: :)2012-09-25

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When you multiply by something negative, the product is on the other side of 0 from where you started. Similarly when you divide two numbers, the quotient is positive if both are positive or both are negative. Are you happy with the fact that the product of two negative numbers is positive?

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    $A$n interesting side note: When the housing market started to crash, a number of firms' programs failed because they assumed that housing prices would always go up. Believe it or not!!!2012-09-25