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All courses Math Foundations · MF.SN.5 27 of 60
Plot, read, and interpret points in all four quadrants on the coordinate plane.

Read a plotted ordered pair

Problem
On a coordinate plane, point \(P\) is plotted \(4~\text{units}\) to the left of the origin and \(3~\text{units}\) up. What is the ordered pair for point \(P\)?
A coordinate plane with labeled x- and y-axes and one highlighted point P in Quadrant II. The point is 4 units left of the origin and 3 units up, with dashed guide lines to the axes. Open full size
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Hint

Find the horizontal movement first: 4 units left of the origin means the x-value is negative.

Ordered pairs are written as (x, y): horizontal first, vertical second. Left makes x negative, and up makes y positive.

Solution walkthrough

01

Read the horizontal coordinate

\[4~\text{units}~\text{left}~⇒~x~=~-4\]

Horizontal position is written first, and left of the origin is negative.

02

Read the vertical coordinate

\[3~\text{units}~\text{up}~⇒~y~=~3\]

Vertical position is written second, and above the origin is positive.

03

Write the ordered pair

\[(-4,~3)\]

Combining x first and y second gives point P's coordinates.

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Another way

  1. Check the quadrant: negative x and positive y place the point in Quadrant II.

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Common mistake

Do not swap the movements or make left positive. Ordered pairs use horizontal x before vertical y.

Solution walkthrough video