What are coordinates?
Coordinates tell us the exact position of a point on a grid. We write them as a pair inside brackets, (x, y). The x-coordinate is written first and tells us how far to move right along the horizontal axis. The y-coordinate is written second and tells us how far to move up the vertical axis.
Key idea
A point is written (x, y). Start at the origin (0, 0). Move right by x, then up by y. The first quadrant has both x and y positive.
Reading a point
Always go along the horizontal axis first, then up the vertical axis. Say it as "along the corridor, then up the stairs".
Worked example
To plot the point (4, 2): start at (0, 0), move 4 units right, then 2 units up. In the point (3, 5), the x-coordinate is 3 and the y-coordinate is 5.
Remember
- x comes first, then y.
- The origin is (0, 0).
- A point like (5, 0) sits on the x-axis; (0, 6) sits on the y-axis.