A Basic Look at Graphing on the Coordinate Plane
Description
This video outlines the different parts of the graphs and illustrates how to properly label all parts of the coordinate plane. Real world examples are given of graphs and graphing systems. Examples of how to plot points are provided in the video.
Overview
The coordinate plane, or the cartesian plane, is commonly known by math students as a blank graph. Graphs consist of two lines that are perpendicular to each other – the horizontal x axis and the vertical y axis. Each axis has a set of numbers, where the top and right of the lines are positive and the bottom and left of the lines are negative. The very center of the graph is known as the origin. The origin is the point (0, 0). Because of the two lines, the graph is split up into 4 sections, called quadrants. The quadrants are labelled at I, II, III, and IV (roman numerals for 1, 2, 3, and 4). They start at the top right corner and continue counter-clockwise around the graph. Quadrant I is a positive quadrant, Quadrant III is a negative quadrant, and Quadrants II and IV have both positive and negative numbers. Points on the graph are found in these four quadrants. The points are written as (x, y) and can be found by tracing up and down along the number values on the graphs until the two lines meet. The place where the lines meet is your point.

September 3, 2009
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