Coordinates

Figure 1

Plotting Coordinates

A 2 dimensional graph has two axis, a x axis and a y axis. When you read and write coordinates you would examine the x axis first, then the y axis. Both axis have numbers, we represent points on the graph using coordinates which are points written in coordinate form, (x,y). x and y both represent values. On both axis, there are ordered numbers, we use both axis and the numbers to plot points on the graph.
So given we have a coordinate that we need to plot on the graph, the coordinate will be expressed in the form of (x,y). We would first find the value of x on the x axis, then depending upon the value of y, plot the point vertically, in line with the value of x which is on the x axis.
THIS IS NOT HARD, AS EXAMPLES ARE DISCUSSED BELOW.
In figure 1, we see a 2 dimensional graph, with the following coordinates plotted. The colour of the points on the graph symbolise the colour of the coordinates below.
(0,0), (0,5), (4,3), (-2,-7), (-3,7), (7,-6)
Lets go through the example to plot (7,-6). 7 is the value of x and -6 is the value of y. We first find the value of x, in this case 7, on the x axis. From this point on the x axis, we need to vertically plot the the value of y, in this case -6.
The coordinate (0,0) is known as the origin.
PLEASE NOTE, THAT PEOPLE USE THE WORD COORDINATES OR POINT WHEN PLOTTING.
For example, a question could be
Plot the coordinates (4,5), (0,0), (0,-2) on the graph.
OR
Plot the points (4,5), (0,0), (0,-2) on the graph.
You know how to plot coordinates now, so just bare in mind that coordinates can also be called points.

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