A coordinate plane is formed by two number lines that intersect at right angles. The horizontal number line is called the x-axis, and the vertical number line is called the y-axis.
Remember that the x-axis runs left to right (like the horizon), and the y-axis runs up and down.
An ordered pair (x, y) tells you the location of a point on the coordinate plane. The x-coordinate shows the horizontal position, and the y-coordinate shows the vertical position.
Always move horizontally first (x-direction), then vertically (y-direction). The order matters!
The four quadrants of the coordinate plane have different sign patterns for their coordinates.
Quadrants are numbered counterclockwise starting from the upper right section.
Some points have special locations that don't fall within any quadrant.
Points on the axes are not in any quadrant. They form the boundaries between quadrants.
When points share the same x-coordinate or y-coordinate, you can find the distance between them by counting units.
When points share a coordinate, they form a horizontal or vertical line segment.
Coordinate planes help us locate positions on maps, design video games, create graphs, and solve navigation problems.
Understanding coordinates helps you interpret many types of visual information in our world.