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coordinates Coordinates (x,y) give the position of a point on a graph. The x coordinate tells you how far across and the y coordinate tells you how far up.

The coordinates (2,3) indicate a point 2 units to the right of the origin and 3 units up.
The coordinates (-4,-1) indicate a point 4 units to the left of the origin and 1 unit down.

Some people remember this as "along the corridor and up the stairs" or "x is a cross, wise up!"
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Glossary

coordinate

One of the measurements of distance of a point from the axes of the graph.

graph

A diagram showing a relationship between two variables.
The diagram shows a vertical y axis and a horizontal x axis.

origin

The point from where all measurements of coordinates are made; usually the point where the two axes of a graph cross.

union

The union of two sets A and B is the set containing all the elements of A and B.

Full Glossary List

This question appears in the following syllabi:

SyllabusModuleSectionTopicExam Year
AQA GCSE (9-1) Foundation (UK)A: GraphsA8: Understanding CoordinatesCoordinates in All Four Quadrants-
CBSE IX (India)Coordinate GeometryCoordinate GeometryCoordinates-
CIE IGCSE (9-1) Maths (0626 UK)5 Co-ordinate GeometryC5.1 Cartesian Co-ordinatesCoordinates in All Four Quadrants-
Edexcel GCSE (9-1) Foundation (UK)A: GraphsA8: Understanding CoordinatesCoordinates in All Four Quadrants-
GCSE Foundation (UK)AlgebraCoordinatesFinding coordinates-
OCR GCSE (9-1) Foundation (UK)7: Graphs of Equations and Functions7.01a: x- and y-CoordinatesCoordinates in All Four Quadrants-
Universal (all site questions)CCoordinatesFinding coordinates-