Orthogonal coordinates
Okay kiddo, let me explain to you what orthogonal coordinates are. Have you ever played Battleship or seen a map with coordinates on it?
In Battleship, you use the letter and number coordinates to target your opponent's ships. Those letters and numbers tell you where to place your shots. Those letters and numbers are examples of orthogonal coordinates.
Now, let me break down the word "orthogonal" for you. It comes from the Greek word "orthos," which means straight or right. In math, orthogonal coordinates are two or three straight lines that intersect each other at right angles, like a T shape.
Think of it this way, if I draw one horizontal line and one vertical line on a piece of paper, they will intersect each other at a right angle, like a plus sign. Those two lines would create an orthogonal coordinate system.
Using this system, we can describe any point on a two-dimensional plane with two numbers based on how far it is from each of these lines. These two numbers are called X and Y coordinates. In a three-dimensional space, we would also have a third coordinate, called Z, that would describe how far above or below the plane a point is.
It's really important to understand orthogonal coordinates because they help us navigate and understand the world around us. Just like using a map or playing Battleship, we use orthogonal coordinates to describe where things are located in space. Does that make sense?
In Battleship, you use the letter and number coordinates to target your opponent's ships. Those letters and numbers tell you where to place your shots. Those letters and numbers are examples of orthogonal coordinates.
Now, let me break down the word "orthogonal" for you. It comes from the Greek word "orthos," which means straight or right. In math, orthogonal coordinates are two or three straight lines that intersect each other at right angles, like a T shape.
Think of it this way, if I draw one horizontal line and one vertical line on a piece of paper, they will intersect each other at a right angle, like a plus sign. Those two lines would create an orthogonal coordinate system.
Using this system, we can describe any point on a two-dimensional plane with two numbers based on how far it is from each of these lines. These two numbers are called X and Y coordinates. In a three-dimensional space, we would also have a third coordinate, called Z, that would describe how far above or below the plane a point is.
It's really important to understand orthogonal coordinates because they help us navigate and understand the world around us. Just like using a map or playing Battleship, we use orthogonal coordinates to describe where things are located in space. Does that make sense?
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