Plot the given point in a rectangular coordinate system. (- 4, 0)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the coordinates of the point given, which are \((-4, 0)\). Here, \(-4\) is the x-coordinate and \(0\) is the y-coordinate.
2. Recall that in a rectangular coordinate system (also called the Cartesian plane), the x-axis is horizontal and the y-axis is vertical.
3. Locate the x-coordinate \(-4\) on the x-axis. This means you move 4 units to the left of the origin (0,0) because the value is negative.
4. Since the y-coordinate is \(0\), you do not move up or down from the x-axis; the point lies exactly on the x-axis.
5. Mark the point at the position where the x-coordinate is \(-4\) and the y-coordinate is \(0\). This is the location of the point \((-4, 0)\) on the coordinate plane.

Key Concepts

Rectangular Coordinate System

The rectangular coordinate system, also known as the Cartesian plane, consists of two perpendicular number lines called the x-axis (horizontal) and y-axis (vertical). Points are located using ordered pairs (x, y), where x indicates horizontal position and y indicates vertical position.

Ordered Pairs

An ordered pair (x, y) represents a point's position on the coordinate plane, with the first number indicating the horizontal distance from the origin and the second number indicating the vertical distance. For example, (-4, 0) means 4 units left of the origin on the x-axis and 0 units up or down.

Plotting Points

Plotting a point involves locating its position on the coordinate plane by moving along the x-axis to the x-value and then moving parallel to the y-axis to the y-value. For (-4, 0), start at the origin, move 4 units left, and stay on the x-axis since the y-value is zero.