Identify coordinates of points in all four quadrants

The coordinate plane represents location with an ordered pair $(x,y)$ : the $x$ -coordinate gives horizontal displacement and the $y$ -coordinate gives vertical displacement from the origin. Points are identified by reading the scale and applying the signs that correspond to each quadrant—positive or negative for each coordinate—while points on an axis have a zero coordinate and are not in a quadrant.

Detailed Explanation: Identify coordinates of points in all four quadrants

To identify the coordinates of a point, start at the origin, $(0,0)$ .

Read the horizontal movement first. This is the $x$ $x$ -coordinate:
- right: positive
- left: negative
Read the vertical movement second. This is the $y$ $y$ -coordinate:
- up: positive
- down: negative
Write the coordinates as an ordered pair, $(x,y)$ .

The signs tell you the quadrant:

Quadrant I: $(+,+)$
Quadrant II: $(-,+)$
Quadrant III: $(-,-)$
Quadrant IV: $(+,-)$

Example

Point $A$ is 4 units left of the origin and 3 units down.

Moving 4 units left gives $x=-4$ .
Moving 3 units down gives $y=-3$ .
Write $x$ first and $y$ second:

A=(-4,-3)

Both coordinates are negative, so point $A$ is in Quadrant III.

If a point lies directly on an axis, one coordinate is $0$ . For example, a point 5 units right of the origin is $(5,0)$ and is not in a quadrant.

Learn by doing: Identify coordinates of points in all four quadrants

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Cartesian Grid - Points

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