成人论坛

Watch: Coordinates

A point on a grid has two numbers to identify its position. These numbers are known as coordinates.

Coordinates are always written as the number of steps across first, then the number of steps up or down.

Grids have two axes. The horizontal axis is called the x-axis and the vertical axis is called the y-axis. These axes can be used to find a point on a grid.

Back to top

Example 1

What are the coordinates of the circle?

A circle on a grid at (3,4) and a square at (5,1)

Step 1 - Go along the x-axis to see which number the circle is in line with - 3.

Step 2 - Now see which number the circle is opposite to on the y-axis - 4.

Step 3 - Write the numbers as coordinates (3, 4).

What are the coordinates of the square?

Step 1 - Read which number the square is opposite to on the x-axis - 5.

Step 2 - Now see which number the square is in line with on the y axis - 1.

Step 3 - Write the numbers as coordinates (5, 1).

Back to top

Example 2

Hassan thinks that the triangle鈥檚 coordinates are (4, 2). Do you agree?

A triangle at coordinates (2,4)

The first thing you need to do is to read the triangle鈥檚 coordinates for yourself.

The triangle is opposite 2 on the x-axis and in line with 4 on the y-axis.

That should be written as (2, 4). So Hassan is wrong because he has mixed up the order of the x and y-axis.

Back to top

Activities

Activity 1

Back to top

Activity 2

Back to top

Quiz

Back to top

Play our fun maths game Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica. game

Use your times tables and more maths skills to defeat monsters and reclaim the Kingdom of Mathematica

Play our fun maths game Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica
Back to top

More on Co-ordinate

Find out more by working through a topic