X and Y coordinates
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Summary
and coordinates
In a nutshell
Coordinates allow you to talk about location on a coordinate grid with precision. In and coordinates are conventionally used and together are denoted as .
The coordinate grid
In the coordinate grid (also known as the Cartesian grid) consists of an -axis going horizontally and a -axis going vertically:
Definition
The "origin" is the centre of the coordinate grid. When reading and plotting coordinates, start from the origin.
Coordinates
procedure
| 1. | To describe a point on the coordinate grid, read along the -direction first (left or right) and find the number the point is in-line with. This number is the -coordinate. |
| 2. | Then read along the -direction (up or down). The number that the point is in-line with is the -coordinate. |
| 3. | The coordinates are then written in the form where is the -coordinate, and is the -coordinate. |
Example
If you have the point on the coordinate grid, it would be in-line with the on the -axis and in-line with the on the -axis, as shown below:
Note: Coordinates must be given with the -coordinate first and the -coordinate second. If you reverse these numbers, you end up with a different point! For example, if you look at , you actually have the point depicted below:
Note: The origin has coordinates .
Plotting coordinates
PROCEDURE
| 1. | To plot a point on the coordinate grid, read the coordinates, which are in the form . Read along the -direction first (left or right) by the number given by . If is positive, you go to the right of the origin, and if it is negative, you go left. |
| 2. | Then go along the -direction (up or down) by the number given by . If is positive, go up, and if it is negative, go down. |
| 3. | Mark the point on your coordinate grid. It is common to use a dot or a cross. |
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Cartesian grid?
The Cartesian grid is the same thing as the coordinate grid.
How do you find x and y coordinates?
Starting at the origin, go horizontally x places, given by the x-coordinate, then go y places vertically, given by the y-coordinate.
Which comes first, x or y?
When denoting coordinates, the x-coordinate comes before the y-coordinate: (x,y)