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Plotting a Point on a Rectangular Coordinate System

To plot a point on the rectangular coordinate system using its ordered pair (x,y)(x, y), locate the xx-coordinate on the xx-axis and lightly sketch a vertical line through that value. Then, locate the yy-coordinate on the yy-axis and sketch a horizontal line through that value. The exact point lies where these two lines intersect. The sketched vertical and horizontal lines are merely visual aids and are not part of the final graph. For example, to plot (1,3)(1, 3), draw a vertical guide through x=1x = 1 and a horizontal guide through y=3y = 3; their intersection is the point (1,3)(1, 3).

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Updated 2026-05-03

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