RE - Coordinate System Lesson
Coordinate System
A coordinate plane is formed by two number lines in a plane that intersect at right angles. The two number lines intersect at 0 on each number line and this point of intersection is called the origin. The two number lines are called axes. The horizontal axis is called the x-axis. The vertical axis is called the y-axis. The coordinate plane is divided into 4 sections called quadrants.
An ordered pair is a pair of numbers, (x, y) that indicate the position of a point on the Cartesian Plane. The numbers in an ordered pair are called coordinates. The first number is called the x-coordinate and the second number is called the y-coordinate. The x-coordinate tells how far to move right (positive) or left (negative) from the origin. The y-coordinate tells how far to move up (positive) or down (negative). The ordered pair for the origin is (0, 0).
To graph the ordered pair (1, 2), begin at the origin, count over 1 unit to the right along the x-axis, and then count up two units along the y-axis and draw the point.
Just remember, x comes before y in the alphabet, so you will always move right or left along the x-axis first.
Let's quickly practice! Look under the coordinate plane and graph the given ordered pair. Click on the spot to see if you are correct!
Watch the videos below to learn more about the coordinate plane.
Coordinate System Assignment
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