Definition
Coordinate plane
A coordinate plane uses perpendicular x- and y-axes to locate points with ordered pairs.
View exact chart data
| x | y | Point |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | -2 | P(3, −2) |
What it means
Start at the origin, where both coordinates are 0. Read the first number as the move along the x-axis: right for positive, left for negative. Read the second as the move along the y-axis: up for positive, down for negative. The point is where those two moves finish.
Remember it
Across first, then up or down: x before y.
Example
To plot P(3, −2), start at the origin. Move 3 units right because x = 3. Then move 2 units down because y = −2. Mark the point there. It lies in quadrant IV.
Watch for
A blank square grid without numbered axes, an origin, and a declared scale is not yet a coordinate plane. Early tasks may show only the first quadrant, but the canonical full plane extends in four directions.
Common mix-up
Do not swap the coordinates. In (x, y), x tells the horizontal move first and y tells the vertical move second.
Exact meaning
A coordinate plane is formed by a horizontal x-axis and a perpendicular vertical y-axis meeting at the origin. A point is located by an ordered pair (x, y); the full plane has four quadrants extending in positive and negative directions.