NUMBER

grid/antcsian tlane
Thecoordinate
la order to define a location, mathematicians use a coordinate grid
called the Cartesianplane. Named after the mathematician René
Descartes, it includes both a horizontal and a vertical number
line asseen belovw. The horizontal line is called the x-axis and the
vertical line is called the y-axis.
Y yaxis
6

4
3

X-axis
as sciSSe
-6 5 4-3 -2 -1,|
-1
11234 56

-4

Alocation on the grid is called a point. Points are usually named

with capital letters and their position is given using coordinates, as
you will see in Investigation 2.

C
Did you know?
While the Cartesian plane is named after
RenéDescartes, a similar sort of system
was first used by a Greek geographer,
philosopher and mathematician named
Dicaearchus.He created a map using two
reference lines, one going through the SRhodes
city of Rhodes and the other through the
Pillars of Hercules. Eratosthenes, another o
Greek philosopher and geographer, used a
Similar map, though he added lines parallel
to the original reference lines. This system Pliarsof Hergulesy
IS similar toour current system of latitude
and longitude.
Oinvestigation 2--Plotting coordinate points
When youdraw points on a coordinate grid, this is referred to as plotting
points have been plotted below. Answer the questions to
coordinates of a point. determine how to
points. Several
name the B
Some of the points on the grid below are described using their
coordinates:
A(-4,3) Q0,4) W(4, -4)

5 -4321

25
A

1 Based on the given

coordinates,write.down thecoordinates of the remaining points.
P,) N ) E(,) St,) ) I , ) B, )
2 Describe how to determine the
coordinates oia ui or the Cartesian plane.
3 What do all of the points onthe x-axis have in
the y-axis have in common?
coHrO? What do ail ofthe pointson
4 Research the name given to the point where the two
axes meet and write down its
coordinates.
5 Whichquadrant has negative values for both the x and y axes?
6 Each of the four sections of the Cartesian plane
(called quadrants) is represented with
a number. Do some research and write down how the quadrants are numbered.
7 On the coordinate grid, what do negative numbers represent?

Activity 2 - Integer pictures

Using acoordinate grid ranging from -10to 10 on both axes, plot the
points in each group of ordered pairs below and join them up in order,
using a ruler to make straight lines. Each group is its own shape. What
IS yourpicture of?
1(0,0), (6, 0), (0, 8)
2 (-1,0), (-5, 0), (-1,6)
3 (-5,-2), (6, -2), (5, -4), (-4, -4)
4 (0, 8), (0, 10), (2, 9)

102 3Integers Continued on next page

 Practice3
1 Write downthe coordinates of each of the points in the coordinate grid below.
Namethe quadrant in which each is located.
6
5
4
3B
Co2oln
T

T
-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 4 5

2H
3 -D¢

2 Create a Cartesian plane and plot the following points.

a (-1,7) b (0, 5) c (-2, -2) d(1, 0)
e (-3, 4) f (3, -4) g (3, 6) h(-5, -3)
TLI 3When exploring what is iocated under the
Earth, archeologists and paleontoiogisis use
a coordinate grid system. In order to be able
to locate and identify artefacts or fossils
once they have been removed, their
location in terms of coordinates is recorded.
In this photograph of a dig in Guadalajara,
Spain, which unearthed mammoth fossils,
how do you think paleontologists would
use coordinates to identifythe positions of
the bones? Give aspecific example, using
the bone highlighted in blue.

10