Graphing xy Points Examples

Graph the point (-4, 3).

The first number in the parentheses, a.k.a. the x-value, is -4. This is how far we go horizontally, on the x-axis, from (0, 0). Because it's negative, we go left.

We don't put a point there yet, though. We still need to move in the vertical direction to get to the final spot. The second number, or y-value, is 3, so we need to move 3 spaces up. Now we can put the point down.

What are the coordinates of the point in the following graph?

Starting at our home base of (0, 0), or the origin, we travel left 5 spaces, so the x-coordinate is -5. Then we travel down 4 spaces, so the y-coordinate is -4.

The ordered pair is (-5, -4)

What quadrant of the coordinate plane would the point (3, -7) be in?

To get to (3, -7), we go right 3 units on the x-axis and down 7 units on the y-axis. Preferably in a tiny little car.

This puts us in the lower-right quadrant, which is Quadrant IV.