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 tells us the x-coordinate of the point and the second number tells us the y-coordinate of the point. We want to graph S( 4, 2 12), so we first find 4 on the x-axis and make a mental note of this grid line. The x-coordinate 4 tells us to move 4 units to the right of the origin — the positive horizontal direction.
Next, we find 2 12 on the y-axis and follow this corresponding horizontal line until it collides with the grid line from our x-coordinate. The y-coordinate 2 12 tells us to move 2 12 units up from the origin — the positive vertical direction.
The point S( 4, 2 12) lies on the point at which these two lines intersect.
