Coordinate plane: FAQ

The coordinate plane is a two-dimensional grid that is used to graph points and lines. A coordinate plane has four sections called quadrants.

Quadrant one (QI) is in the upper right-hand corner of the coordinate plane, Quadrant two (QII) is in the upper left-hand corner, Quadrant three (QIII) is in the lower left-hand corner, and Quadrant four (QIV) is in the lower right-hand corner.

Try it yourself with this exercise:

Coordinates are two numbers that are used to locate a point on the coordinate plane.

The first number, or $x$x-coordinate, tells us how far left or right to move from the origin (the point where the two axes intersect). The second number, or $y$y-coordinate, tells us how far up or down to move from the origin.

Try it yourself with this exercise:

To graph a point, we first find the x-coordinate on the horizontal axis, and then we find the y-coordinate on the vertical axis. We plot the point where the two lines intersect.

Try it yourself with this exercise:

The coordinate plane is used in many different fields, such as engineering, architecture, and physics.

Try it yourself with this exercise: