A 2-Dimensional Number Line
You've now worked with a horizontal number line and a vertical number line (the thermometer). When the two number lines come together, they create a coordinate plane.
The horizontal number line has a specific name on a coordinate plane: x-axis
The vertical number line has a specific name on a coordinate plane: y-axis
(x,y)
A coordinate pair tells you where to plot a point on a coordinate plane. The first coordinate tells you
how far to move on the x-axis and the second coordinate tells you how far to move on the y-axis.
Your Turn!
For the point (2,3), how far would you go on the x-axis?
For the point (5, -8), how far would you go on the y-axis?