The Coordinate Plane

5 1, 5

 4, 2

-5 5
7,  1
 2,  2
-5
 Imagine the top surface of your
desk stretching in every direction.

If it continued to spread , it
would go right through
your neighbor . . .
. . . and then through the
classroom walls . . .
. . . and through the school and
the hills and the mountains and
out into space until it went on
forever in every direction.

Then you would have a plane.

In mathematics, a plane is a
flat surface that goes on
forever in every direction.

In Algebra, we often use

the coordinate plane.
 The coordinate plane is
divided by two number lines.
One is horizontal, like the
number line you already
know.
-10 -5 0 5 10
The other is vertical, with up
being the positive direction
and down being the negative
direction.
 5

-10 -5 0 5 10

-5
The coordinate plane is filled
with points . . .
. . . infinitely many points.

And somewhere among

all those points is the
point we call the origin.
 The origin is
the point where
5
the two number
lines meet.
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-5
The two number lines have special names.

The horizontal number

line is called the x-axis .
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The vertical
number line
-5 is called the
y-axis.
 y
The plural of axis
is axes. We often 5
talk about the
coordinate axes.
x
-10 -5 0 5 10

-5
 To study a point, we need to
know where to find it. So we give
it coordinates.

Coordinates are like an address.

They tell you how you can get to
a point if you start at the origin.
 y
Coordinates are
always written in 5
 x, y 
parentheses, with
the x-value first.
x
-10 -5 0 5 10

-5
 y
Coordinates written
in parentheses are
5
 x, y 
called an ordered
pair.
x
-10 -5 0 5 10

-5
Consider the point So the 4 in (4, -2)
which has says we need to move
5
coordinates, (4, -2). 4 units to the right.

-10 -5 0 5 10

The first number

tells you how far Remember to start
-5
to move along at the origin!
the x-axis.
The second number The –2 in (4, -2)
tells you how far to 5
tells you to
move up or down. move down two
units.

-10 -5 0 5 10

4,  2
-5
To get to the origin So the origin is
from the origin, we 5 designated by
don’t move at all. the ordered
pair, (0, 0)
0, 0
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-5
 In Quadrant II, x-values are
In Quadrant I, all values
negative, while y-values are
are positive.
The twopositive.
number lines We call the regions
II
divide the plane into 5 I
quadrants.
four regions.

-10 -5 0 5 10

Quadrants are labeled

III with Roman
In Quadrant III, x- and y-
Numerals.
-5 IV
In Quadrant IV, x-values
are positive and y-values
values are both negative. are negative.
Give the coordinates of each point:

2, 3
 5,1

 3,  2 2,  4
 Plot each point and describe how to get
to the point from the origin.
From the origin, move to the right
1. (8,–7) 8 units, then down 7 units.

From the origin, move to the right 4

2. (4,0) units, then stop (Stay on the x-axis.).

From the origin, move to the left 4

3. (–4,–5) units, then down 5 units.

From the origin, don’t move to the right or left (stay

4. (0,–9) on the y-axis), then move down 9 units.

From the origin, move to the right

5. (7,12) 7 units, then up 12 units.
Use your own words to explain what
each term means:
 Origin
 Quadrant
 Axis
 Coordinates
 Ordered pair