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How Do You Plot Points in the Coordinate Plane?
Graph the point (3,4) on the coordinate plane.
Summary
- Draw the y-axis and label the first 4 positive units
- Then draw the x-axis and label the first 4 positive units
- 3 is the x-coordinate
- 4 is the y-coordinate
- To plot (3,4) we have to start at the origin
- Since the x-coordinate is positive 3, we move to the right 3 units
- Since the y-coordinate is positive 4, we move up 4 units
- Now we plot the point (3,4)

Notes
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- The y-axis is vertical, and the x-axis is horizontal
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- Take a look at the point we are trying to plot and decide what the x and y coordinates are
- We are plotting (3,4)
- The x-coordinate is 3, and the y-coordinate is 4
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- The x-coordinate is 3, and the y-coordinate is 4
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- The x-coordinate is 3, and the y-coordinate is 4
- The x-coordinate comes first, and the y-coordinate is second
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- We are plotting (3,4)
- The x-coordinate comes first, and the y-coordinate is second
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- If the x-coordinate is positive we move to the right, if it is negative we move to the left
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- The x-coordinate, 3, so we move to the right three units
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- Our x-coordinate is not negative, but if it was, we would move to the left
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- The y-coordinate is 4
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- The y-coordinate, 4, so we move up four units
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- Our y-coordinate is not negative, but if it was, we would move down
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- We plot a point by drawing a dot on the graph at the proper coordinates