8th Grade
Rectangular
Coordinate
System
Cartesian Coordinate System
The Cartesian coordinate system, named
after French mathematician and
philosopher RENÉ DESCARTES, relies on
points on a grid.
X
The left- right (horizontal) direction
is commonly called x - axis.
y
The up- down (vertical) direction is
commonly called y-axis.
Cartesian Coordinate System
• The axes divide the plane
into four QUADRANTS.
• The numbers to the right
of the x-axis or the
abscissa from the origin
are positive numbers,
while the numbers to the
left of the x-axis from the
origin are negative
numbers. Numbers
above the origin in the y-
axis are positive, while
the numbers below the
origin of the y-axis are
negative.
Cartesian Coordinate System
• Every point in the Cartesian coordinate system is an ordered pair (x,
y), and x represents the number in the x-axis, while y represents the
number in the y-axis. These two numbers cannot be interchanged;
hence they are called an ordered pair.
(x, y) (2, 5)
x-coordinate y-coordinate
or or
abscissa ordinate
distance of the point from distance of the point from
the origin measured the origin measured
along the x-axis along the y-axis
Plotting of Points
(-2, 5) (2, 5)
(2, 5)
Quadrant I
(-2, 5)
Quadrant II
Plotting of Points
(-2, -4)
Quadrant III
(2, -4)
(-2, -4) (2, -4) Quadrant IV
Cartesian Coordinate System
(-, +) (+, +)
(-, -) (+, -)
Identify in which quadrant the following points are
located.
1. (3, 5) Quadrant I
2. (-2, 7) Quadrant II
3. (5, -4) Quadrant IV
4. (-5, -9) Quadrant III
Plotting of Points
(0, 5)
(0, 5)
(5, 0) y-axis (0, y)
(5, 0)
x-axis (x, 0)
Plotting of Points
(0, 0)
ORIGIN
Identify in which quadrant or axis the following
points are located.
1. (-2, 4) Quadrant II
2. (10, 0) x – axis
3. (4, -10) Quadrant IV
4. (0, -9) y – axis
5. (-5, -8) Quadrant III
1. (-2, 4)
(-2, 4)
2. (10, 0)
(10, 0)
3. (4, -10)
4. (0, -9)
5. (-5, -8)
(-5, -8)
(0, -9)
(4, -10)
Plotting of Points
A(2, 3)
A
C B(1, -3)
C(-5, 0)
B
Plotting of Points
q
M(2, 3)
M
L(-3, -3)
line ML
L line q
Plotting of Points
M(0,3)
M
P N N(3, 1)
O (0, -3)
O P(-3, 1)
Construct your own
Coordinate plane and
plot each point given.
Then, connect the points
from A to L.
G K
L
F H J
I
E A
D B