Cartesian plane
Imagine you're in a big playground with your friend. You both want to play a game of tag, but you don't know where each other is. What do you do? You could ask a grown-up for help, but what if there are no grown-ups around? That's where a Cartesian plane comes in handy!
A Cartesian plane is a flat surface that's divided into two lines - one horizontal and one vertical - that meet at a point in the middle. We call the point where the two lines meet the 'origin'. Imagine the playground you're in also has two lines that go across and down, like a big square.
The horizontal line in the plane is called the 'x-axis', and the vertical line is called the 'y-axis'. So, the point where the two axes cross is the origin. When we talk about a point on the plane, we use two numbers to describe where it is. The first number tells us how far along the x-axis the point is, and the second number tells us how far up or down the y-axis the point is.
For example, let's say your friend is hiding in the playground, and you want to find them. You could say to them, "I'm standing 3 steps to the right of where we started, and 2 steps up." That's exactly how the Cartesian plane works. Each point on the grid has its own set of two numbers that describes where it is on the x and y-axis.
So, a Cartesian plane is basically a way to find any point on a flat surface by plotting its coordinates (the two numbers that describe its location). It's like having a map for finding your friend in the playground!
A Cartesian plane is a flat surface that's divided into two lines - one horizontal and one vertical - that meet at a point in the middle. We call the point where the two lines meet the 'origin'. Imagine the playground you're in also has two lines that go across and down, like a big square.
The horizontal line in the plane is called the 'x-axis', and the vertical line is called the 'y-axis'. So, the point where the two axes cross is the origin. When we talk about a point on the plane, we use two numbers to describe where it is. The first number tells us how far along the x-axis the point is, and the second number tells us how far up or down the y-axis the point is.
For example, let's say your friend is hiding in the playground, and you want to find them. You could say to them, "I'm standing 3 steps to the right of where we started, and 2 steps up." That's exactly how the Cartesian plane works. Each point on the grid has its own set of two numbers that describes where it is on the x and y-axis.
So, a Cartesian plane is basically a way to find any point on a flat surface by plotting its coordinates (the two numbers that describe its location). It's like having a map for finding your friend in the playground!
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