6th Grade Math Textbook, Progress

Graph Ordered Pairs

14-5

A coordinate plane, or grid, is formed by a horizontal

and vertical number line, called coordinate axes.

The horizontal axis is the

x-axis.

The vertical axis is the

y-axis.

The point at which the two

axes intersect is called the

origin.

The axes divide the

coordinate plane into four

quadrants.

Move up4 units.

Start at 0. Move left5 units.

Point Pis in quadrant II.

The coordinates of

the originare (0, 0).

xy

(
5, 4) locates point P.

(4, 
2) locates point B.

right down

42

Point Bis in quadrant IV.

(3, 4) locates point D.

right up

34

Point Dis in quadrant I.

(
1, 
6) locates point C.

left down

16

Point Cis in quadrant III.

An ordered pair (x, y) locates a point on a coordinate

plane. The numbers, xand y, are called coordinates.

To graph, or locate, a point on a grid:

• Start at (0, 0). Move rightor leftthe
  number of units indicated by the
  x-coordinate. Thesign tells you to
  move right and the
  sign tells you to
  move left.


• Then, from that point, move upor down
  the number of units indicated by the
  y-coordinate.The sign tells you to
  move up and the
  sign tells you to
  move down.

Study these examples.

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