Representation in the Cartesian Plane
Yaritza looks up the location of a store on a map of Santo Domingo on her phone. The map tells her: "3 blocks east and 2 blocks north." With two numbers you can locate any place. That pair of numbers and the axes that measure them form the Cartesian plane. How do you read and plot a point with them? And, once you know how to locate points, what else can you do with them? You will see that next.
The coordinate axes
Complete the following sentences about the Cartesian coordinate system: a) The horizontal axis is called the axis of \\\\\\\\ and is represented by the letter $X$. b)…
Complete the following sentences about the Cartesian coordinate system:
- a) The horizontal axis is called the axis of ________ and is represented by the letter $X$.
- b) The vertical axis is called the axis of ________ and is represented by the letter $Y$.
- c) The point of intersection of both axes is called the ________ and its coordinates are $(0, 0)$.
Draw a set of coordinate axes in your notebook and identify which quadrant (first, second, third, or fourth) the following points are in without plotting them: $P(4, 7)$…
Draw a set of coordinate axes in your notebook and identify which quadrant (first, second, third, or fourth) the following points are in without plotting them:
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$P(4, 7)$
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$Q(-3, 5)$
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$R(-2, -8)$
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$S(6, -1)$
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
The coordinates of a point
Each point is written $P(x, y)$. To plot it: first count $x$ steps from $O$ to the right (or to the left if it is negative), then go up or down $y$ steps from there.
In the following Cartesian plane, the positions of four objects in a room are marked. Write down the coordinates $(x, y)$ of each of the points represented: the remote…
In the following Cartesian plane, the positions of four objects in a room are marked. Write down the coordinates $(x, y)$ of each of the points represented: the remote control ($A$), the book ($B$), the keys ($C$) and the backpack ($D$).
We are designing a level for a video game on a grid. Three of the vertices of a rectangular room are the points $A(1, 2)$, $B(6, 2)$ and $C(6, 5)$. a) Plot the points on…
We are designing a level for a video game on a grid. Three of the vertices of a rectangular room are the points $A(1, 2)$, $B(6, 2)$ and $C(6, 5)$.
- a) Plot the points on a Cartesian plane.
- b) What must the coordinates of the fourth vertex $D$ be so that the room is a perfect rectangle?
- c) Join the points in order ($A$, $B$, $C$ and $D$) and check your answer.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
A delivery drone leaves the logistics center, located at point $(0, 0)$. It makes two deliveries: the first at point $A(0, 4)$ and the second at point $B(5, 0)$. a)…
A delivery drone leaves the logistics center, located at point $(0, 0)$. It makes two deliveries: the first at point $A(0, 4)$ and the second at point $B(5, 0)$.
- a) State which axis each of the delivery points lies on.
- b) If the drone flies in a straight line from point $A$ to point $B$, represent the path on coordinate axes.
The quadrants
Depending on the sign of $x$ and $y$, each point falls in one of the four quadrants:
A group of archaeologists is mapping the ruins of an ancient Roman city. They have placed the center of an amphitheater at the origin $O(0,0)$. Plot the following points…
A group of archaeologists is mapping the ruins of an ancient Roman city. They have placed the center of an amphitheater at the origin $O(0,0)$. Plot the following points of interest on a Cartesian plane and determine which quadrant each one is in:
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Temple of Jupiter: $A(-4, 3)$
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Public baths: $B(5, -2)$
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North Gate: $C(0, 6)$
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Forum: $D(-3, -5)$
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Market: $E(6, 4)$
If they decided to build a fence joining the points $E$, $B$ and $A$, what geometric shape would be formed?
Look at the points represented on the following marine navigation radar. Write down the coordinates of the ships identified by the letters $P$, $Q$, $R$ and $S$. Also…
Look at the points represented on the following marine navigation radar. Write down the coordinates of the ships identified by the letters $P$, $Q$, $R$ and $S$. Also indicate which ships have the same x-coordinate and which ones lie on one of the coordinate axes.
Draw a Cartesian plane and plot the following points that form the vertices of a rectangle: $A(-4, -1)$, $B(3, -1)$ and $C(3, 4)$. Find the coordinates of the fourth…
Draw a Cartesian plane and plot the following points that form the vertices of a rectangle: $A(-4, -1)$, $B(3, -1)$ and $C(3, 4)$.
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Find the coordinates of the fourth vertex $D$ to complete the rectangle.
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Calculate the perimetre and the area of this rectangle by counting the grid units.
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In which quadrant is most of the area of the rectangle located?
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Points on the axes and symmetric points
A point can fall on an axis instead of in a quadrant: if $x = 0$, it is on the $Y$-axis; if $y = 0$, it is on the $X$-axis. The origin $(0, 0)$ is not in any quadrant.
It is also useful to know how to reflect a point:
Plot the point $A(-4, 3)$ in your notebook. a) Write down the coordinates of a point $B$ that has the same x-coordinate as $A$, but its y-coordinate is the opposite. b)…
Plot the point $A(-4, 3)$ in your notebook.
- a) Write down the coordinates of a point $B$ that has the same x-coordinate as $A$, but its y-coordinate is the opposite.
- b) Write down the coordinates of a point $C$ that has the same y-coordinate as $A$, but its x-coordinate is the opposite.
- c) Plot all three points and observe the symmetry created with respect to the axes.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
In a strategy video game, the base of operations is at point $M(-3, 2)$. The programmer wants to place three guard posts in symmetrical positions: Post $P_1$ is the…
In a strategy video game, the base of operations is at point $M(-3, 2)$. The programmer wants to place three guard posts in symmetrical positions:
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Post $P_1$ is the reflection of $M$ across the x-axis.
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Post $P_2$ is the reflection of $M$ across the y-axis.
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Post $P_3$ is the reflection of $M$ in the origin.
Plot the four points on the Cartesian plane and write down their coordinates.
In an art design class, students must create shapes using symmetry. A triangle is drawn with vertices $A(1, 2)$, $B(4, 2)$ and $C(2, 5)$. a) Plot the original triangle.…
In an art design class, students must create shapes using symmetry. A triangle is drawn with vertices $A(1, 2)$, $B(4, 2)$ and $C(2, 5)$.
a) Plot the original triangle.
b) Draw the reflection of the triangle across the $Y$-axis. Write down the coordinates of the new vertices $A'$, $B'$ and $C'$.
c) Draw the reflection of the original triangle about the origin $O(0,0)$. Write down the coordinates of these new vertices $A''$, $B''$ and $C''$.
d) How have the signs of the coordinates changed in each case?
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Figures in the plane
You can draw figures with points: plot the vertices, connect them in order, and close the figure. In a rectangle with sides parallel to the axes, opposite vertices share coordinates: if $A(1, 2)$, $B(6, 2)$, and $C(6, 5)$, the fourth vertex takes the $x$ of $A$ and the $y$ of $C$: $D(1, 5)$.
Other useful ideas:
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Two points with the same abscissa, like $M(3, 2)$ and $N(3, -4)$, are on a vertical line.
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Two points with the same ordinate are on a horizontal line.
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On the grid, the perimeter adds up the sides and the area of a rectangle is base $\times$ height.
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To tell whether three points are collinear, draw the line through two of them and see whether the third falls on it. You can also check whether you move the same amount in $y$ for each step in $x$.
Plot the following points on a grid and join them in alphabetical order. Finally, join the last point to the first. What geometric shape have you obtained? $A(-2, 2)$…
Plot the following points on a grid and join them in alphabetical order. Finally, join the last point to the first. What geometric shape have you obtained?
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$A(-2, 2)$
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$B(2, 2)$
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$C(2, -2)$
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$D(-2, -2)$
Given the points $M(3, 2)$ and $N(3, -4)$: a) Plot them on the Cartesian plane. b) What do their coordinates have in common? c) If you draw the line that passes through…
Given the points $M(3, 2)$ and $N(3, -4)$:
- a) Plot them on the Cartesian plane.
- b) What do their coordinates have in common?
- c) If you draw the line that passes through both, is it a horizontal or a vertical line?
A delivery drone follows a linear route. It takes off from the warehouse at point $S(-5, -2)$ and must pass through points $T(-2, 1)$ and $U(1, 4)$ before reaching its…
A delivery drone follows a linear route. It takes off from the warehouse at point $S(-5, -2)$ and must pass through points $T(-2, 1)$ and $U(1, 4)$ before reaching its destination.
- a) Plot the points $S$, $T$ and $U$ on a Cartesian plane (on grid paper). Are they collinear?
- b) If the drone continues along its path in the same direction, will it pass through point $V(4, 7)$? Justify your answer graphically: plot $V$ as well and the line joining the points.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Distance between two points and midpoint
When two points are not on the same horizontal or the same vertical line, you cannot count squares. But you can always form a right triangle: the segment is the hypotenuse and the legs are the difference of abscissas and the difference of ordinates. Then apply the Pythagorean theorem.
Draw a set of Cartesian axes and plot the points $A(2, 1)$ and $B(2, 5)$. Find the coordinates of a point $C$ such that triangle $ABC$ is an isosceles right-angled…
Draw a set of Cartesian axes and plot the points $A(2, 1)$ and $B(2, 5)$.
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Find the coordinates of a point $C$ such that triangle $ABC$ is an isosceles right-angled triangle (having two equal sides and an angle of $90^\circ$).
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Is there more than one possible solution? Write down the coordinates of all the ones you find.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
The design for a new sports clothing brand logo is based on a symmetrical rhombus. Three of its vertices are known: $A(-2, 1)$, $B(1, 4)$ and $C(4, 1)$. a) Plot these…
The design for a new sports clothing brand logo is based on a symmetrical rhombus. Three of its vertices are known: $A(-2, 1)$, $B(1, 4)$ and $C(4, 1)$.
a) Plot these points on the Cartesian plane and determine the coordinates of the fourth vertex, $D$, so that the shape is a rhombus.
b) Calculate the coordinates of the center of the rhombus (the point where its diagonals intersect).
c) If we wanted to double the size of the logo keeping vertex $A$ in place, what would the new coordinates of points $B$ and $C$ be?
Graphing from a table
When points follow a rule, like $y = 2x$, you can make a table of values, plot the points $(x, y)$, and connect them: with a ruler if they are collinear, with a smooth curve if they are not. Measured data, like a temperature every 2 hours, is plotted the same way, but connected with line segments.
Identify which of the following points satisfy the condition that their y-coordinate is double their x-coordinate ($y = 2x$): $A(1, 2)$ $B(-2, -4)$ $C(3; 1.5)$…
Identify which of the following points satisfy the condition that their y-coordinate is double their x-coordinate ($y = 2x$):
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$A(1, 2)$
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$B(-2, -4)$
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$C(3; 1.5)$
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$D(-1, 2)$
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$E(0, 0)$
Plot them on a Cartesian plane. What do you observe when you join these points?
At a weather station, the variation in temperature over the course of a morning has been recorded. The data obtained are: At $0$ hours (midnight): $-2\,^\circ C$ At $2$…
At a weather station, the variation in temperature over the course of a morning has been recorded. The data obtained are:
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At $0$ hours (midnight): $-2\,^\circ C$
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At $2$ hours: $-1\,^\circ C$
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At $4$ hours: $2\,^\circ C$
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At $6$ hours: $4\,^\circ C$
In the figure you have the axes with their scale (on the $X$ axis, each unit is $1$ hour; on the $Y$ axis, each unit is $1\,^\circ C$). Copy it into your notebook, preferably on graph paper, and solve:
- a) Represent these data as points $(x, y)$ on the Cartesian plane, where the $X$ axis represents time and the $Y$ axis represents temperature.
- b) Join the points with line segments to draw the graph.
- c) What is the meaning of the point where the graph crosses the x-axis? Give its coordinates approximately.
- d) What is the meaning of the point where the graph crosses the y-axis? Give its coordinates.
A biologist measures the depth of a lake at different points along a straight line crossing from one shore to the other. The starting shore is at $x=0$ and the ending…
A biologist measures the depth of a lake at different points along a straight line crossing from one shore to the other. The starting shore is at $x=0$ and the ending shore is at $x=10$. The depth $y$ (in meters, expressed as negative values to indicate depth) follows the function $y = x^2 - 10x$.
a) Create a table of values for $x \in \{0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10\}$.
b) Plot the points on the Cartesian plane and join them with a smooth curve.
c) At what point is the maximum depth of the lake reached, and what is this value?
d) What does the fact that the value of $y$ is $0$ at $x=0$ and $x=10$ represent?
When is a graph a function?
A function assigns to each value of $x$ only one value of $y$ (this is called uniqueness of the image). In the plane, this is checked with the vertical line test: if any vertical line crosses the graph at two or more points, it is not a function.
Analyse the following two graphs, $G_1$ and $G_2$, drawn on the same set of axes, and answer with reasoning. The graph $G_1$ is the line $y=0.5x+4$ and the graph $G_2$…
Analyse the following two graphs, $G_1$ and $G_2$, drawn on the same set of axes, and answer with reasoning. The graph $G_1$ is the line $y=0.5x+4$ and the graph $G_2$ is a circle centred at the origin with radius $3$.
a) Which of them represent a function? Justify your answer using the concept of "uniqueness of image".
b) For those that are functions, state whether they are increasing or decreasing over their whole domain.
c) Look at the points of $G_2$ with $x=0$: which values of $y$ correspond to them? What do you conclude about whether $G_2$ satisfies uniqueness of image? Also give another value of $x$, different from $0$, for which the same happens.
Domain, range, and growth on a graph
When you look at a graph you can read information:
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Domain: all the values of $x$ that the graph covers (read on the $X$-axis).
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Range: all the values of $y$ that it reaches (read on the $Y$-axis).
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The function increases where the graph goes up as you move to the right, decreases where it goes down, and is constant where it is horizontal.
A surveillance drone completes a round trip from its base. Its distance from the base (in meters) with respect to time (in seconds) is given by the following graph: a)…
A surveillance drone completes a round trip from its base. Its distance from the base (in meters) with respect to time (in seconds) is given by the following graph:
a) Determine the domain and range of this function according to the graph.
b) Identify the time intervals in which the drone moves away from the base, gets closer, or remains stationary.
c) What is the speed of the drone (in m/s) during the first $10$ seconds? Remember that $v = \frac{distancia}{tiempo}$.
Piecewise functions
Sometimes the rule changes depending on the value of $x$. This is a piecewise function: each interval has its own formula. It is very common in rates and fees.
An electric scooter rental company uses a tiered rate to avoid trips that are too short. The cost $y$ (in pesos) depends on the time $x$ (in minutes) according to these…
An electric scooter rental company uses a tiered rate to avoid trips that are too short. The cost $y$ (in pesos) depends on the time $x$ (in minutes) according to these rules:
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If the trip lasts between $0$ and $10$ minutes (inclusive), the cost is $120$ pesos.
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If it lasts more than $10$ and up to $20$ minutes, the cost is $240$ pesos.
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From $20$ minutes onward, the cost is a fixed $240$ pesos plus $6$ pesos for each additional minute past $20$.
a) Draw a graph of this function on the Cartesian plane for a time from $0$ to $40$ minutes.
b) State whether the function is continuous or discontinuous. If it is discontinuous, indicate the jump points.
c) How much will a person pay who uses the scooter for $25$ minutes? And someone who uses it for $10$ minutes and one second?
Regions of the plane
An inequality like $x + y \leq 3$ does not mark a line, but a region: all the points that satisfy it. Method:
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Draw the boundary by replacing the inequality with an equality ($x + y = 3$). Use a solid line if it is $\leq$ or $\geq$ and a dashed line if it is $<$ or $>$.
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Test a point off the boundary, such as the origin.
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If the point satisfies the inequality, shade its side; if not, the other side.
In a strategy video game, the area of influence of a defence tower is bounded by the points $(x, y)$ that satisfy the following condition: the modulus of their…
In a strategy video game, the area of influence of a defence tower is bounded by the points $(x, y)$ that satisfy the following condition: the modulus of their x-coordinate plus the modulus of their y-coordinate must be less than or equal to $4$, that is, $|x| + |y| \leq 4$.
a) Plot on the Cartesian plane all the points that form the boundary of this region (where $|x| + |y| = 4$). What geometric shape do you obtain?
b) Check whether the points $P(2, 2)$, $Q(-3, 2)$ and $R(0, -4)$ are inside, outside, or on the boundary of the area of influence.
c) Calculate the area of this region in square units.
You can do it on paper and send a photo with your answer.
Where two lines cross
Two paths in the plane cross at the point that belongs to both. When you graph them with a table, that point is where they intersect.
Two ships, the Alfa* and the Beta*, are travelling across the ocean. Their positions on the Cartesian plane (where each unit on the vertical axis represents $1$ nautical…
Two ships, the Alfa and the Beta, are travelling across the ocean. Their positions on the Cartesian plane (where each unit on the vertical axis represents $1$ nautical mile) are given by the following functions with respect to time $t$ (in hours):
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Ship Alfa: $y = 2t - 4$
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Ship Beta: $y = -t + 5$
Use the axes in the figure (copy them into your notebook) to solve the parts.
a) Plot both paths on the same coordinate axes for values of $t$ between $0$ and $6$.
b) At what point on the map will the two ships cross? Find the coordinates $(t, y)$ of that point visually from the graph.
c) At what time ($t$) will that meeting take place?
Back to the beginning: Yaritza's store is at the point $(3, 2)$: three blocks to the right (east) and two up (north). With the distance formula, the store is $\sqrt{9 + 4} = \sqrt{13} \approx 3.6$ blocks away in a straight line.