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COORDINATE GEOMETRY - Q&A

Exercise 3.1

1. How will you describe the position of a table lamp on your study table to another person?

To describe the position of a table lamp on the study table, we can use the concept of coordinates.
1. Consider the table top as a plane surface and the two perpendicular edges of the table (say the bottom edge and the left edge) as the x-axis and y-axis respectively.
2. Measure the distance of the lamp from the longer edge (let's say it is 25 cm) and from the shorter edge (let's say it is 30 cm).
3. We can then describe the position of the lamp as (25, 30) or (30, 25) depending on which edge we consider as the x-axis.
[Image of coordinates of a point on a plane]
So, the position is uniquely defined by these two distances.

2. (Street Plan) : A city has two main roads which cross each other at the centre of the city. These two roads are along the North-South direction and East-West direction. All the other streets of the city run parallel to these roads and are 200 m apart. There are 5 streets in each direction. Using 1 cm = 200 m, draw a model of the city on your notebook. Represent the roads/streets by single lines.

There are many cross-streets in your model. A particular cross-street is made by two streets, one running in the North - South direction and another in the East - West direction. Each cross street is referred to in the following manner : If the 2nd street running in the North - South direction and 5th in the East - West direction meet at some crossing, then we will call this cross-street (2, 5). Using this convention, find:

(i) how many cross - streets can be referred to as (4, 3).

There is only one cross-street that can be referred to as (4, 3). This is the intersection of the 4th street running North-South and the 3rd street running East-West.

(ii) how many cross - streets can be referred to as (3, 4).

There is only one cross-street that can be referred to as (3, 4). This is the intersection of the 3rd street running North-South and the 4th street running East-West.


Exercise 3.2

1. Write the answer of each of the following questions:

(i) What is the name of horizontal and the vertical lines drawn to determine the position of any point in the Cartesian plane?

The horizontal line is called the x-axis and the vertical line is called the y-axis.
[Image of cartesian plane x and y axis]

(ii) What is the name of each part of the plane formed by these two lines?

Each part of the plane formed by these two lines is called a quadrant. There are four quadrants: I, II, III, and IV.
[Image of quadrants in cartesian plane]

(iii) Write the name of the point where these two lines intersect.

The point where the x-axis and y-axis intersect is called the origin, denoted by O(0, 0).

2. See Fig. 3.14, and write the following:

(i) The coordinates of B.

The point B is at a distance of -5 units along the x-axis and 2 units along the y-axis.
So, the coordinates of B are (-5, 2).

(ii) The coordinates of C.

The point C is at a distance of 5 units along the x-axis and -5 units along the y-axis.
So, the coordinates of C are (5, -5).

(iii) The point identified by the coordinates (-3, -5).

Looking at the graph, the point with x-coordinate -3 and y-coordinate -5 is E.
So, the point is E.

(iv) The point identified by the coordinates (2, -4).

Looking at the graph, the point with x-coordinate 2 and y-coordinate -4 is G.
So, the point is G.

(v) The abscissa of the point D.

The abscissa is the x-coordinate. Point D is at x = 6.
So, the abscissa of point D is 6.

(vi) The ordinate of the point H.

The ordinate is the y-coordinate. Point H is at y = -3.
So, the ordinate of point H is -3.

(vii) The coordinates of the point L.

Point L lies on the y-axis at y = 5. Its x-coordinate is 0.
So, the coordinates of L are (0, 5).

(viii) The coordinates of the point M.

Point M lies on the x-axis at x = -3. Its y-coordinate is 0.
So, the coordinates of M are (-3, 0).

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Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
Who is the 17th-century French mathematician credited with developing the coordinate system for describing a point's position?
Answer
René Descartes
Question
In honour of René Descartes, what is the system used for describing the position of a point in a plane called?
Answer
The Cartesian system
Question
What is the name of the branch of mathematics that uses a system of coordinates to locate points in a plane?
Answer
Coordinate Geometry
Question
How many independent pieces of information are required to precisely fix the position of a dot on a sheet of paper?
Answer
Two
Question
In a seating plan where a student sits in the 5th column and 3rd row, how is their position typically written?
Answer
$(5, 3)$
Question
What is the name of the horizontal number line ($X'X$) in a Cartesian plane?
Answer
The $x$-axis
Question
What is the name of the vertical number line ($Y'Y$) in a Cartesian plane?
Answer
The $y$-axis
Question
What is the point where the $x$-axis and $y$-axis cross each other called?
Answer
The origin
Question
What letter is standardly used to denote the origin in a Cartesian plane?
Answer
$O$
Question
What are the specific coordinates of the origin?
Answer
$(0, 0)$
Question
The coordinate axes divide the plane into how many parts?
Answer
Four
Question
What is the term for one of the four parts of a Cartesian plane divided by the axes?
Answer
A quadrant
Question
In which direction are the quadrants I, II, III, and IV numbered starting from the positive $x$-axis?
Answer
Anticlockwise
Question
Which alternative name is used for the Cartesian plane besides the coordinate plane?
Answer
The $xy$-plane
Question
What is the specific term for the $x$-coordinate of a point?
Answer
Abscissa
Question
What is the specific term for the $y$-coordinate of a point?
Answer
Ordinate
Question
The $x$-coordinate of a point represents its perpendicular distance from which axis?
Answer
The $y$-axis
Question
The $y$-coordinate of a point represents its perpendicular distance from which axis?
Answer
The $x$-axis
Question
When stating the coordinates of a point, which value is written first in the brackets?
Answer
The $x$-coordinate (abscissa)
Question
In which quadrant do both coordinates have positive signs $(+, +)$?
Answer
Quadrant I
Question
In which quadrant is the $x$-coordinate negative and the $y$-coordinate positive $(-, +)$?
Answer
Quadrant II
Question
In which quadrant do both coordinates have negative signs $(-, -)$?
Answer
Quadrant III
Question
In which quadrant is the $x$-coordinate positive and the $y$-coordinate negative $(+, -)$?
Answer
Quadrant IV
Question
If a point lies on the $x$-axis, what is its $y$-coordinate?
Answer
$0$
Question
If a point lies on the $y$-axis, what is its $x$-coordinate?
Answer
$0$
Question
What is the general coordinate form for any point lying on the $x$-axis?
Answer
$(x, 0)$
Question
What is the general coordinate form for any point lying on the $y$-axis?
Answer
$(0, y)$
Question
If $x \ne y$, how does the point $(x, y)$ relate to the point $(y, x)$?
Answer
They are different points
Question
Under what condition is the coordinate pair $(x, y)$ equal to the pair $(y, x)$?
Answer
$x = y$
Question
What is the collective term used for the $x$-axis and the $y$-axis?
Answer
Coordinate axes
Question
Which direction from the origin represents positive numbers on the $x$-axis?
Answer
$OX$
Question
Which direction from the origin represents positive numbers on the $y$-axis?
Answer
$OY$
Question
Which direction from the origin represents negative numbers on the $x$-axis?
Answer
$OX'$
Question
Which direction from the origin represents negative numbers on the $y$-axis?
Answer
$OY'$
Question
If a point $A$ is at a distance of $+4$ units from the $y$-axis and $0$ units from the $x$-axis, what are its coordinates?
Answer
$(4, 0)$
Question
What are the coordinates of a point $B$ located $3$ units above the origin on the $y$-axis?
Answer
$(0, 3)$
Question
What are the coordinates of a point $C$ located $5$ units to the left of the origin on the $x$-axis?
Answer
$(-5, 0)$
Question
What are the coordinates of a point $D$ located $4$ units below the origin on the $y$-axis?
Answer
$(0, -4)$
Question
Term: Abscissa
Answer
Definition: The perpendicular distance of a point from the $y$-axis measured along the $x$-axis.
Question
Term: Ordinate
Answer
Definition: The perpendicular distance of a point from the $x$-axis measured along the $y$-axis.
Question
Which part of the coordinate plane is enclosed by the positive $x$-axis and the positive $y$-axis?
Answer
Quadrant I
Question
Which part of the coordinate plane is enclosed by the negative $x$-axis and the positive $y$-axis?
Answer
Quadrant II
Question
Which part of the coordinate plane is enclosed by the negative $x$-axis and the negative $y$-axis?
Answer
Quadrant III
Question
Which part of the coordinate plane is enclosed by the positive $x$-axis and the negative $y$-axis?
Answer
Quadrant IV
Question
The coordinate axes consist of a _____ line and a _____ line.
Answer
Horizontal; vertical
Question
If a point has the coordinates $(-3, 4)$, what is its ordinate?
Answer
$4$
Question
If a point has the coordinates $(-3, 4)$, what is its abscissa?
Answer
$-3$
Question
A point with coordinates $(3, -4)$ lies in which quadrant?
Answer
Quadrant IV
Question
A point with coordinates $(-5, -4)$ lies in which quadrant?
Answer
Quadrant III
Question
On a number line, what is the value of the origin?
Answer
$0$
Question
The point $(\frac{2}{3}, 0)$ lies on which axis?
Answer
The $x$-axis
Question
How is a particular cross-street identified in a street plan where North-South and East-West streets intersect?
Answer
By an ordered pair of street numbers (e.g., $(2, 5)$)
Question
In the seating plan notation $S(4, 1)$, what does the number $1$ represent?
Answer
The row number
Question
In the seating plan notation $S(4, 1)$, what does the number $4$ represent?
Answer
The column number
Question
The horizontal line $X'X$ and vertical line $Y'Y$ cross each other at their _____.
Answer
Origins
Question
What defines the positive direction of the $y$-axis?
Answer
The ray $OY$ starting from the origin
Question
What defines the negative direction of the $x$-axis?
Answer
The ray $OX'$ starting from the origin
Question
Which piece of information comes second when stating the coordinates of a point in a plane?
Answer
The $y$-coordinate
Question
Can a point in a plane be represented by more than one pair of coordinates in the Cartesian system?
Answer
No, the coordinates describe a point uniquely
Question
If a point's abscissa is $4$ and its ordinate is $3$, write its coordinate pair.
Answer
$(4, 3)$