📍 Co-ordinates

Reading co-ordinates

A co-ordinate tells you exactly where a point is on a grid. It’s written as two numbers in brackets: (x, y).

1. The first number (x) tells you how far to go across.
2. The second number (y) tells you how far to go up.

Memory hook: “Along the corridor, then up the stairs.” You have to walk along before you can climb!

• A is 2 across and 3 up, so A is at (2, 3).
• B is 4 across and 1 up, so B is at (4, 1).

Special points

• (0, 0) is where the two axes meet. It’s called the origin.
• A point on the x-axis (the bottom line) has y = 0, like (4, 0).
• A point on the y-axis (the side line) has x = 0, like (0, 3).

Finding a missing corner

If you know three corners of a square or rectangle, the missing corner shares its x with one corner and its y with another.

Watch out! (2, 5) and (5, 2) are different points! Swapping the numbers is the most common mistake.

Top tip: put your finger on (0, 0). Slide across first, then up. Say it out loud: “2 across, 5 up.”