If both the dividend and divisor are positive or both are negative, the quotient will be positive.
Rule 1:
If both dividend and divisor have the same sign, positive or negative, the quotient will be positive.
(16) ÷ (4) = 4 (positive quotient).
(-16) ÷ (-4) = 4 (positive quotient).
Rule 2:
If either of the dividend or divisor is negative the quotient will be negative.
(16) ÷ (-4) = -4 (negative quotient).
(-16) ÷ (4) = -4 (negative quotient).
In other words (if the signs are the same, the quotient will be positive, if they are different, the quotient will be negative). This rule is for multiplication and division.