-3.2 times (-1.7) getting an answer of 5.44
Your answer, of 5.44, is correct.
I'm guessing that got this result using a calculator.
you entered (-3.2), a negative value, into the calculator, than multiplied it by (-1.7), another negative value and the answer that came out was 5.44, a positive value.
This is because when you multiply a negative number by another negative number, the result will always be a positive value.