lesson
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What happens when a hidden treasure isn't at an exact whole step like (3,2), but right in the crack between the paving stones?
Real-world navigation tools like smartphone GPS don't stick to whole numbers—they pinpoint exact spots using decimals and fractions.
To plot these precise locations, what do we need to do when we look closely between the whole numbers?
Zooming Between the Grid Lines
A rational number is any number that can be written as a fraction or decimal, like 0.5, −141, or −2.75.
Just like tick marks on a ruler, the space between any two whole numbers can be cut into equal parts like halves, fourths, or tenths.
📊Interactive diagram
So how do we navigate when both the horizontal and vertical axes are sliced into tiny fractions?
Reading the Grid Scale
Before you plot a single point, always find the grid scale, which is the numerical value that each single grid square represents.
If two grid squares make up 1 whole unit, then each individual grid line counts by 0.5 (or 21).
📊Interactive diagram
Now that we know how to read the spacing, how do we plot a point with positive and negative decimals?