Final answer:
The rules for multiplying integers and multiplying rational numbers are similar, but there are some differences. When multiplying integers, the rules depend on the signs of the numbers being multiplied. When multiplying rational numbers, the rules also depend on the signs of the numbers being multiplied, but there is an additional step of simplifying the product to its simplest form.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rules for multiplying integers and multiplying rational numbers are similar, but there are some differences. When multiplying integers, the rules depend on the signs of the numbers being multiplied. If both numbers are positive or both numbers are negative, the product will be positive. If one number is positive and the other number is negative, the product will be negative.
When multiplying rational numbers, the rules also depend on the signs of the numbers being multiplied. However, there is an additional step of simplifying the product to its simplest form by cancelling common factors between the numerator and the denominator.
For example, when multiplying integers 3 and -4, the product is -12. When multiplying rational numbers 2/3 and -4/5, the product is -8/15.