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 ( - 2, 0), we first find - 2 on the x-axis and make a mental note with a grid line. The x-coordinate - 2 tells us to move two units in the negative horizontal direction.
y-coordinate
Next, we need find 0 on the y-axis. Notice the y-coordinate 0 tells us to stay on y-axis.
Therefore, the point ( - 2, 0) lies where the grid line collides with the y-axis.
