In an ordered pair, the x-coordinate comes first and the y-coordinate comes second.
Practice makes perfect
In an ( x, y) ordered pair, the first number shows the x-coordinate and the second number shows the y-coordinate.
x-coordinate
To graph C( 5, 0), we first find 5 on the x-axis and make a mental note of this grid line. The x-coordinate 5 tells us to move five units in the positive horizontal direction.
y-coordinate
Next, we find 0 on the y-axis and follow this grid line until it collides with the grid line from our x-coordinate. The y-coordinate 0 tells us not to move in the vertical direction.
The point C( 5, 0) lies on the point at which these two grid lines intersect.
