The rectangular or Cartesian coordinate system is a coordinate system that specifies each point uniquely in a plane by a pair ol numerical coordinates. These are the signed distances from the intersection of 2 perpendicular number lines. The horizontal line is called the x-axls, and vertical line called the yaxls, The point ot intersection of these lines is called the origin. and all other points on the plane are measured with respect to their distance lrom the origin. Coordinates ot a point on this plane are denoted by (x. y). where x is the horizontal distance from the origin (positive if to the right, negative if to the left). and y is the vertical distance from the origin (positive it above, negative if below). Example 1 Fill in the distances from the origin and the coordinates of the point. y-axls