Basic Graphing
Objective
Given a graph of a point, write the point as an ordered pair.
Example
Write the point shown in the graph as an ordered pair
Every graph has three important parts
Explanation
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Answer: (2,4)
Every point has two numbers
1. X-axis: the horizontal line
2. Y-axis: the vertical line
3. Origin: the point where the X-axis and Y-axis intersect
Examples
There are 2 ways to find points.
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The X-coordinate is always first!
An ordered pair has an X-coordinate and a Y-coordinate. We write it with the a comma between the two coordinates, and parenthesis.
~The second number is the Y-coordinate. It tells you how many places you move up (positive) or down (negative).
~The first number is the X-coordinate. It tells you how many places you move to the right (positive) or left (negative).
Way 1: Distance from the origin
Example 1
Example 2
Starting at the origin, count the spaces along the X-axis until you are directly under (or above) the point. Then, count the spaces up (or down) to reach the point.
Way 2: Distance from the axes
Example 3
Moving above or to the right of the origin give positive numbers, while moving below or to the left of the origin give negative numbers.
Example 4
You can also simply count spaces from the axes. From the X-axis, we go down 2. From the Y-axis, we go right 3
[Remember down and left are negative.]
In this example, the point is on the X-axis. Since we don't need to move up or down at all, our y-coordinate will be 0.
Example 5
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Practice your skills
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(Be careful of how the axes are labeled)
Answer: (1,2)
Ready?