Final answer:
To plot the point (-1 1/4, -2 1/2), move 1 1/4 units left and 2 1/2 units down from the origin to find the position in the third quadrant of the Cartesian plane and mark it with a dot.
Step-by-step explanation:
To plot the point (-1 1/4, -2 1/2) on a Cartesian plane, we need to find the location that corresponds to this ordered pair. The first number, -1 1/4, is the x-coordinate indicating how far to move horizontally from the origin. Since it is negative, we move 1 1/4 units to the left of the origin. The second number, -2 1/2, is the y-coordinate indicating how far to move vertically from the origin. As this is also negative, we move 2 1/2 units down from the origin.
Here are the steps to plot the point:
- Begin at the origin (0,0), the point where the x-axis and y-axis intersect.
- Move 1 1/4 units to the left along the x-axis. This is the horizontal movement because it corresponds to the x-coordinate.
- From that point, move 2 1/2 units downwards along the y-axis. This is the vertical movement because it corresponds to the y-coordinate.
- Mark the point with a dot and label it (-1 1/4, -2 1/2).
The point you have just plotted is in the third quadrant of the Cartesian plane because both coordinates are negative.