Hello everyone! Let’s talk about graphing today, more specifically, the blank coordinate plane. You may be wondering why this is important or how it relates to our day-to-day lives, but trust me, coordinates and plotting points on this plane is something we use more often than we realize.
Coordinate Plane
First things first, let’s establish what a coordinate plane is. It’s simply a flat, two-dimensional plane that is divided into four quadrants - labelled I, II, III, and IV. The point where the two axes (x and y) meet is known as the Origin and has a coordinate of (0,0). The x axis runs horizontally and the y axis runs vertically.
We are able to plot points on this plane using (x,y) coordinates. For example, the point (3,4) would be three units to the right of the origin and four units up. Point (-2,5) would be two units to the left of the origin and five units up. Make sense?
Why is this important?
Let’s say you’re a real estate agent showing a client properties in a specific area of town. You may use a coordinate plane to map out the locations of each property and show the client how far each is from the others or from important landmarks such as schools or shopping centers. Similarly, a GPS uses coordinates to direct drivers to their desired location.
In the field of science, experimentation and research may dictate the need for graphing to determine relationships between variables. The resulting graph can then be used for analysis and interpretation of the findings.
Graphing
Now that we know what a coordinate plane is and why it matters, let’s talk about how to graph on it.
The first step is to decide what range your axes will have. This is the maximum and minimum values that the x and y axes can have. For example, if we’re graphing students’ grades on a test, the x axis could represent the number of questions answered correctly, with a maximum of 50 and a minimum of 0. The y axis could represent the number of students who scored that many questions right, with a maximum of 30 and a minimum of 0.
Once we have established the range, we can then plot the points for the data we wish to represent. For example, if two students got 25 questions right, we would plot (25,2) on the graph. Keep in mind that although the data points don’t have to fall exactly on any of the gridlines, it helps to estimate where they would fall to ensure accurate plotting.
After plotting all of the points, we can then connect the dots (unless the data doesn’t line up as a straight line, in which case we would analyze the curve or pattern that it does follow). This gives us a clear visual representation of the data and helps us make sense of it.
Practice Makes Perfect
Now that we have a basic understanding of the coordinate plane and how to graph on it, it’s time to practice! Use the image of the blank coordinate plane at the top of this post and choose a set of (x,y) coordinates to plot. Remember to label your axes and give your graph a clear title.
Thanks for reading! Let’s keep learning and growing together.
