Background Tutorials

• Use a pair of perpendicular number lines, called axes, to define a coordinate system, with the intersection of the lines (the origin) arranged to coincide with the 0 on each line and a given point in the plane located by using an ordered pair of numbers, called its coordinates. Understand that the first number indicates how far to travel from the origin in the direction of one axis, and the second number indicates how far to travel in the direction of the second axis, with the convention that the names of the two axes and the coordinates correspond (e.g., x-axis and x-coordinate, y-axis and y-coordinate).

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    What is the Origin?

    The coordinate plane has two axes: the horizontal and vertical axes. These two axes intersect one another at a point called the origin. Learn about the ordered pair that indicates the origin and its location in the coordinate plane by watching this tutorial!

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    What is the Coordinate Plane?

    You can't graph a function or plot ordered pairs without a coordinate plane! Learn about the coordinate plane by watching this tutorial.

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    What is the X-Axis?

    To graph a function or plot an ordered pair, you need to use a coordinate plane, so you should learn all about it! In this tutorial, you'll learn about the x-axis and see where it's located in the coordinate plane.