Plot Ordered Pairs

Plotting ordered pairs

An ordered pair has the form (x, y). The first number tells you how far to move horizontally from the origin, and the second tells you how far to move vertically.

Step-by-step method

1. Start at the origin (0, 0) on the coordinate plane.
2. Read the first coordinate x.
   • Move right if x is positive.
   • Move left if x is negative.
3. Read the second coordinate y.
   • Move up if y is positive.
   • Move down if y is negative.
4. Mark the point where the two moves meet.

Helpful reminders

• The coordinates are always written in the order x, then y.
• Do not switch them.
• If either coordinate is zero, the point lies on an axis.

Check your work

After plotting, verify that the point is the correct distance from both axes. You can also read the point backward: from the plotted point, move to the y-axis first and then to the x-axis to confirm the ordered pair.

Final tip

When answering, give the point exactly as an ordered pair, and if a graph is shown, make sure the point is placed in the right quadrant or on the correct axis.