Coordinates (age 11+) · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Coordinates in every quadrant

Mathematics · Algebra · ages 11-12
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. To plot the point (-3, 4), what is the first move from the origin?

    • Move 3 units left
    • Move 3 units right
    • Move 4 units up
    • Move 4 units down

  2. Which quadrant is the point (3, -5) in?

    • Quadrant I
    • Quadrant II
    • Quadrant III
    • Quadrant IV

  3. A point on a graph is 4 units to the left of the origin and 3 units up. What is its x-coordinate?

    Answer: ______________

  4. The point (5, -2) is in Quadrant I.

    Circle one:   True   False

  5. The point (x, y) is in Quadrant I, so both x and y are positive. Which quadrant is the point (x, -y) in?

    • Quadrant I
    • Quadrant II
    • Quadrant III
    • Quadrant IV

  6. Which set of moves plots the point (2, -5)?

    • Right 2, then down 5
    • Left 2, then up 5
    • Right 5, then down 2
    • Left 2, then down 5

  7. Look at the point (2, -7). What is its y-coordinate?

    Answer: ______________

  8. Where does the point (0.5, -1.5) belong?

    • Quadrant I
    • Quadrant II
    • Quadrant III
    • Quadrant IV

  9. Ben plots (-1/2, 3) by moving right half a step, then up 3. What did he get wrong?

    • He should have moved down, not up
    • He should have moved left, not right
    • He used the numbers in the wrong order

  10. A point in Quadrant III has an x-coordinate of -2.5. Which of these could be its y-coordinate?

    • 0
    • 4
    • -4
LightMySky · lightmysky.comW1-mt_hVpGOEz2kG-s1

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Coordinates in every quadrant W1-mt_hVpGOEz2kG-s1

  1. Move 3 units left · In an ordered pair the first number is the x-coordinate, and the move for x always comes before the move for y.
  2. Quadrant IV · A positive x moves right and a negative y moves down, and right plus down always lands in Quadrant IV.
  3. -4 · Moving left from the origin gives a negative x-coordinate, so 4 units left means x is -4.
  4. False · Quadrant I needs both numbers positive. Here y is -2, so the point is in Quadrant IV.
  5. Quadrant IV · Only the y-coordinate flips sign, so the point keeps its right side position but drops below the x-axis, landing in Quadrant IV.
  6. Right 2, then down 5 · The first number of the pair controls the left-right move and the second number controls the up-down move.
  7. -7 · The y-coordinate is the second number in the pair, so it's -7.
  8. Quadrant IV · A positive x and a negative y land in Quadrant IV, and that rule works the same when the values are fractions or decimals.
  9. He should have moved left, not right · A negative x-coordinate means move left of the origin, not right.
  10. -4 · Every point in Quadrant III has both coordinates negative, so y must be negative too, like -4.
Worksheet · LightMySky