How to Plot Points on a Cartesian Plane | Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners #stemeducation #learnmath

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]The axis divide the plane into four regions called quadrants. Here are quadrants 1, 2, 3, and 4.

[00:00:11]These quadrants help us identify the region where a point is located. In plotting the points, we always look for the value of X first, then the value of Y.

[00:00:24]Let me emphasize that again. The value of X comes before Y.

[00:00:29]Just like the order of these letters in the alphabet, X comes before Y.

[00:00:35]Therefore, in quadrant 1, the points that we can plot are positive integers on the X axis, and the number on the Y axis are also positive.

[00:00:47]In quadrant 2, the values of X are negative, but the values of Y are still positive.

[00:00:55]In quadrant 3, both X and Y coordinates are negative.

[00:01:01]Quadrant 4, X is positive and Y is negative. Let's try plotting some points.

[00:01:09]To plot a point, we use an ordered pair written as X and Y.

[00:01:15]Plot the points for positive 4 and negative 3.

[00:01:19]The first number tells us how far to move left or right along the X axis.

[00:01:26]The second number tells us how far to move up or down along the Y axis.

[00:01:33]Since our number is positive 4, we go four units to the right.

[00:01:38]Here is 1, 2, 3, and 4.

[00:01:43]Since our second number is negative 3, we need to count downwards.

[00:01:49]So, here's negative 1, negative 2, and negative 3.

[00:01:54]Then, we plot the point at the exact location where these ordered pair meets.

[00:02:01]Right here.

[00:02:03]Would you like to try another one?

[00:02:05]Try locating the points for this ordered pair.

[00:02:09]Negative five and positive seven.

[00:02:12]The first number goes along the x-axis.

[00:02:16]Since it's a negative integer, we need to count backwards from zero until we get to five units. We go 1 2 3 4 and 5.

[00:02:30]The second number goes along the y-axis.

[00:02:33]And since it is a positive integer, we start counting from zero going up to seven units. We go 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7.

[00:02:48]Then we plot the point where these ordered pair meets.

[00:02:52]And it is right here.