6th grade · Math · Unit 15 of 17
Four Quadrants
Points with negative coordinates
What your child practices
Plotting and naming points in all four quadrants, reflecting points across an axis, and finding distances and areas on the coordinate plane.
Oregon State Standards learning standard: 6.NS.C.8; 6.GM.A.3 · graphing points in all four quadrants and finding the length of a side with a shared coordinate
How we explain it
Children can open this short lesson before they practice.
- Left of 0 is negative x. Below 0 is negative y.
- Quadrant I is (+, +), II is (−, +), III is (−, −), IV is (+, −).
- Across an axis, one coordinate changes sign.
Example: How far apart are (−3, 2) and (5, 2)? Same y, so count across. 3 to get to 0, then 5 more: 3 + 5. Answer: 8 units
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
A rectangle has corners (−4, −4), (3, −4), (3, 4) and (−4, 4). What is its area?
- 56 square units
- 63 square units
- 53 square units
- 30 square units
- 58 square units
56 square units
Hint: Width = 3 − (−4) = 7. Height = 4 − (−4) = 8.
Question 2
The point (−7, 2) is reflected across the x-axis. Where does it land?
- (2, −7)
- (−7, −2)
- (7, −2)
- (7, 2)
(−7, −2)
Hint: Across the x-axis, the y-coordinate changes sign.
Question 3
What are the coordinates of point P?
- (4, 6)
- (6, 4)
- (−4, 6)
- (4, −6)
(4, 6)
Hint: Read across to x first (left is negative), then up or down to y (down is negative).
Question 4
Which quadrant is the point (−4, −4) in?
- Quadrant IV
- Quadrant III
- Quadrant I
- Quadrant II
Quadrant III
Hint: I: (+, +). II: (−, +). III: (−, −). IV: (+, −).
Question 5
How far apart are (−4, −7) and (4, −7)?
- 8
- 11
- 5
- 10
8
Hint: The points are on opposite sides of an axis, so add the distances: 4 + 4.
Question 6
Which quadrant is the point (2, 4) in?
- Quadrant III
- Quadrant I
- Quadrant II
- Quadrant IV
Quadrant I
Hint: I: (+, +). II: (−, +). III: (−, −). IV: (+, −).