1. The problem is to find the product of the two numbers $-5$ and $-8$. 2. The formula for multiplication is simply multiplying the two numbers: $$a \times b$$ 3. Important rule: The product of two negative numbers is positive. 4. Calculate the product: $$(-5) \times (-8) = 40$$ 5. Explanation: Since both numbers are negative, their product is positive, so the answer is 40.