What are coordinates?
Coordinates are two numbers used to describe a point's position on a grid.
Grids have two axes. The horizontal axis is called the x-axis and the vertical axis is called the y-axis.
Coordinates are always written like this (2, 3).
The first number is the point's position on the x-axis (horizontal axis) and the second tells you its position on the y-axis (vertical axis).
Activity: What are coordinates?
Complete this interactive activity to understand what coordinates are, then put your knowledge to the test.
Understanding coordinates on a grid
Coordinates can help you find an exact location on a grid.
You have two axes on the grid: the x-axis (horizontal) and the y-axis (vertical).
To find a point's coordinates, first read along the x-axis and then up the y-axis.
On the grid above, the point is 4 units along the x-axis and 3 units up the y-axis. Its coordinates are (4, 3).
If the point moves 2 units left and 1 unit down, the new coordinates will be (2, 2).
Its new position is shown on the grid below.
Example 1
What are the coordinates of the circle?
And, what are the coordinates of the square?
✓ The coordinates of the circle are (3, 4) and the coordinates of the square are (5, 1).
To work out the coordinates of the circle you can follow these steps:
Step 1 - Go along the x-axis to see which number the circle is in line with. It is 3.
Step 2 - Now see which number the circle is opposite to on the y-axis. It is 4.
Step 3 - Write the numbers as coordinates (3, 4).
To work out the coordinates of the square follow these steps:
Step 1 - Read which number the square is opposite to on the x-axis. It is 5.
Step 2 - Now see which number the square is in line with on the y-axis. It is 1.
Step 3 - Write the numbers as coordinates (5, 1).
Example 2
Kevin thinks that the triangle’s coordinates are (4, 2). Is he correct?
✓ Kevin is incorrect. The triangle's coordinates are (2, 4).
The first thing you need to do is to read the triangle’s coordinates for yourself.
The triangle is at 2 on the x-axis and 4 on the y-axis.
The triangle's coordinates should be written as (2, 4).
Kevin is wrong because he has mixed up the order of the x and y-axis positions when writing the coordinates. The x-axis position shoud always go first.
Example 3
The hexagon is at the coordinates (3, 1).
If the hexagon moves two units right and one unit down, what will its new coordinates be?
✓ The new coordinates of the hexagon will be (5, 0).
First start at 3 and move two units right along the x or horizontal axis. This is 5.
Then start at 1 and move one unit down the y or vertical axis. This is 0.
When a point is on the line of the axis the coordinate is 0.
Play Guardians: Defenders of Mathematica to get ready for SATs. game
In this game, use the times tables and more maths skills to defeat monsters and reclaim the Kingdom.
More on Coordinates
Find out more by working through a topic
- count2 of 3
- count3 of 3
