About the Coordinate Plane
A coordinate plane is two number lines that cross at zero: the horizontal x-axis and the vertical y-axis. Every point is named by an ordered pair (x, y). Go across first, then up or down.
The axes split the plane into four quadrants, numbered I to IV counterclockwise from the top right. In 5th grade students work only in quadrant I, where both numbers are positive. Negative coordinates and all four quadrants come in 6th grade.
Use the numbered plane for plotting points and graphing linear equations. Use the blank plane when the numbers are large or small and you need each square to stand for 2, 5 or 10. The multi-plane pages save paper on problem sets where each question needs its own graph.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a coordinate plane?
A coordinate plane is a grid made by a horizontal x-axis and a vertical y-axis that cross at the origin, the point (0, 0). The position of any point is given by an ordered pair (x, y).
What are the four quadrants?
Quadrant I is the top right, where x and y are both positive. Quadrant II is the top left (x negative, y positive), quadrant III is the bottom left (both negative) and quadrant IV is the bottom right (x positive, y negative).
How do you plot a point?
Start at the origin. Move left or right by the first number, x, then up or down by the second number, y. For (3, −2), go 3 to the right and 2 down.
What grade uses the coordinate plane?
Students graph points in the first quadrant in 5th grade, work in all four quadrants in 6th grade, and graph linear equations in 7th and 8th grade.
