Year 4: Plotting points and drawing shapes
Part of the Year 4 coordinates and translation chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Plotting points and drawing shapes
To plot a point means to mark it on a grid. Here is how to plot the point (3, 2).
- Start at the origin, (0, 0).
- Go along the x-axis to 3 (the first number).
- Go up to 2 (the second number).
- Mark the point with a small cross or dot and write its label.
You can make a shape by plotting points and then joining them in order with a ruler. Each corner of the shape is called a vertex. Join the last point back to the first one to close the shape. Then you can name the shape by looking at its sides and its right angles.
Points can also make a straight line. Look at the points below. Every point has a y-coordinate of 3. They make a horizontal (flat) line.
The points on the second line all have an x-coordinate of 5. They make a vertical (straight up and down) line. A good question to ask is: “What do all the points on this line have in common?”
Key ideas
- To plot (x, y): start at the origin, go along x, go up y, then mark the point.
- Join the points in order and join the last one back to the first to make a polygon. Corners are called vertices.
- Name a shape using its sides and its right angles. Count how long each side is on the grid.
- Points with the same y are in a horizontal line. Points with the same x are in a vertical line.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot P (3, 2). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 3 along the x-axis, then 2 up.
- Check the picture. Every point should sit where its along number and up number meet.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (1, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot B (4, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 4 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot C (1, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a right-angled isosceles triangle.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (2, 2). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 2 up.
- Plot B (6, 2). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 6 along the x-axis, then 2 up.
- Plot C (6, 5). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 6 along the x-axis, then 5 up.
- Plot D (2, 5). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 5 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a rectangle.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Read each corner (vertex) of the shape on its own. For every corner, go along first and then up.
- Look at the first corner. Start at the origin for every corner. Look down to the x-axis, then across to the y-axis.A: along 2, up 1 → (2, 1)
- Do the same for the other corners. Along first, then up, every time.B: along 5, up 1 → (5, 1)
C: along 5, up 4 → (5, 4)
D: along 2, up 4 → (2, 4) - Write the answer. List the corners in order.A (2, 1), B (5, 1), C (5, 4), D (2, 4)
Check. Plot the points again: they land on the corners of the shape. ✓
Watch out. Along first, then up, for every corner.
Key words. Coordinates are two numbers in brackets, like (3, 5). They tell us exactly where a point is. The x-axis is the line going along the bottom. The y-axis is the line going up the side. The origin is the point (0, 0) where the two axes meet.
Method. Write down the coordinates of all the points. Look for a number that is the same in every pair.
- Write the coordinates of every point. Read each point: along first, then up.A = (1, 4)
B = (3, 4)
C = (6, 4) - Look at the second numbers. The second number is the y-coordinate. Do they match?4, 4, 4
They are all 4. - Say what they have in common. A line of points that share a y-coordinate is horizontal (flat).Every point has y = 4, so the points are on a horizontal line.
Check. Every point has y-coordinate 4, so the line is flat. ✓
Watch out. The y-coordinate is the second number. A flat line has the same y-coordinate everywhere.
Key words. Coordinates are two numbers in brackets, like (3, 5). They tell us exactly where a point is. The x-axis is the line going along the bottom. The y-axis is the line going up the side. The origin is the point (0, 0) where the two axes meet.
Method. Write down the coordinates of all the points. Look for a number that is the same in every pair.
- Write the coordinates of every point. Read each point: along first, then up.A = (5, 1)
B = (5, 3)
C = (5, 6) - Look at the first numbers. The first number is the x-coordinate. Do they match?5, 5, 5
They are all 5. - Say what they have in common. A line of points that share a x-coordinate is vertical (straight up and down).Every point has x = 5, so the points are on a vertical line.
Check. Every point has x-coordinate 5, so the line is straight up. ✓
Watch out. The x-coordinate is the first number. A line going straight up has the same x-coordinate everywhere.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (1, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot B (5, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot C (5, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Plot D (3, 6). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 3 along the x-axis, then 6 up.
- Plot E (1, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a pentagon (5 sides).
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Watch out
Plot along first, then up. To plot (4, 2), go 4 along and 2 up, not 2 along and 4 up. When you join points, join them in the order given. Joining them in a different order can make a different shape.Exercise 10B Plotting points and drawing shapes
Non-calculatorKey words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (2, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Check the picture. Every point should sit where its along number and up number meet.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot B (5, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Check the picture. Every point should sit where its along number and up number meet.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot C (0, 3). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Do not go along. Go 3 up the y-axis.
- Check the picture. Every point should sit where its along number and up number meet.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot D (6, 6). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 6 along the x-axis, then 6 up.
- Check the picture. Every point should sit where its along number and up number meet.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (1, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot B (5, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot C (5, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Plot D (1, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a rectangle.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot P (1, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot Q (5, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot R (1, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a right-angled triangle.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (2, 2). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 2 up.
- Plot B (5, 2). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 2 up.
- Plot C (5, 5). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 5 up.
- Plot D (2, 5). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 5 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a square.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (1, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot B (5, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot C (7, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 7 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Plot D (3, 4). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 3 along the x-axis, then 4 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a parallelogram.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Read each corner (vertex) of the shape on its own. For every corner, go along first and then up.
- Look at the first corner. Start at the origin for every corner. Look down to the x-axis, then across to the y-axis.A: along 3, up 1 → (3, 1)
- Do the same for the other corners. Along first, then up, every time.B: along 5, up 3 → (5, 3)
C: along 3, up 7 → (3, 7)
D: along 1, up 3 → (1, 3) - Write the answer. List the corners in order.A (3, 1), B (5, 3), C (3, 7), D (1, 3)
Check. Plot the points again: they land on the corners of the shape. ✓
Watch out. Along first, then up, for every corner.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Plot the points, join them in order, and then use the sides and the right angles to name the shape.
- Plot the points and join them in order. Join each point to the next with a straight line. Then join the last point back to the first.
- Count the sides. The number of sides tells us the family of the shape.4 sides: a quadrilateral.
- Look at the sides. We compare how long they are and which way they go.AB slants 2 across and 2 up.
BC slants 2 across and 4 up.
CD slants 2 across and 4 down.
DA slants 2 across and 2 down. - Look for right angles and equal sides. These clues tell us which shape it is.There are 2 pairs of equal sides, and the equal sides are next to each other.
1 right angle.
No parallel sides. - Name the shape. It has two pairs of equal sides that are next to each other.It is a kite.
Check. It has two pairs of equal sides that are next to each other. ✓
Watch out. Check every side. A shape that looks like a rectangle is a square only if all four sides are equal.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (2, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot B (6, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 6 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot C (4, 5). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 4 along the x-axis, then 5 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is an isosceles triangle.
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Start at the origin. For each point go along first, then up, and mark it with a cross.
- Find the origin. Every point is measured from (0, 0), where the axes meet.Put your finger on (0, 0).
- Plot A (1, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot B (5, 1). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 1 up.
- Plot C (5, 2). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 5 along the x-axis, then 2 up.
- Plot D (2, 2). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 2 up.
- Plot E (2, 6). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 2 along the x-axis, then 6 up.
- Plot F (1, 6). The first number is along, the second number is up. Then mark the point with a small cross.Go 1 along the x-axis, then 6 up.
- Join the points in order with a ruler and close the shape. Join the last point back to the first one.The shape is a L-shape (a hexagon with 6 sides and 6 right angles).
Check. Read each point back: look along to its x-coordinate and up to its y-coordinate. They match the numbers in the question. ✓
Watch out. Do not mix up the two numbers: along first, then up.
Key words. Coordinates are two numbers in brackets, like (3, 5). They tell us exactly where a point is. The x-axis is the line going along the bottom. The y-axis is the line going up the side. The origin is the point (0, 0) where the two axes meet.
Method. Write down the coordinates of all the points. Look for a number that is the same in every pair.
- Write the coordinates of every point. Read each point: along first, then up.A = (1, 6)
B = (3, 6)
C = (5, 6)
D = (8, 6) - Look at the second numbers. The second number is the y-coordinate. Do they match?6, 6, 6, 6
They are all 6. - Say what they have in common. A line of points that share a y-coordinate is horizontal (flat).Every point has y = 6, so the points are on a horizontal line.
Check. Every point has y-coordinate 6, so the line is flat. ✓
Watch out. The y-coordinate is the second number. A flat line has the same y-coordinate everywhere.
Key words. Coordinates are two numbers in brackets, like (3, 5). They tell us exactly where a point is. The x-axis is the line going along the bottom. The y-axis is the line going up the side. The origin is the point (0, 0) where the two axes meet.
Method. Write down the coordinates of all the points. Look for a number that is the same in every pair.
- Write the coordinates of every point. Read each point: along first, then up.A = (2, 1)
B = (2, 4)
C = (2, 7) - Look at the first numbers. The first number is the x-coordinate. Do they match?2, 2, 2
They are all 2. - Say what they have in common. A line of points that share a x-coordinate is vertical (straight up and down).Every point has x = 2, so the points are on a vertical line.
Check. Every point has x-coordinate 2, so the line is straight up. ✓
Watch out. The x-coordinate is the first number. A line going straight up has the same x-coordinate everywhere.
Key words. Coordinates are two numbers in brackets, like (3, 5). They tell us exactly where a point is. The x-axis is the line going along the bottom. The y-axis is the line going up the side. The origin is the point (0, 0) where the two axes meet.
Method. Find what all the points on the line have in common. Then choose new points that have the same thing.
- Read the points you are given. Along first, then up.(1, 3) and (2, 3)
- Find what they have in common. The second numbers match.Both have y = 3, so the line is flat (horizontal).
- Write two more points. Keep y = 3, change the first number.For example (4, 3) and (7, 3).
Check. Both new points have a y-coordinate of 3, so they are on the same horizontal line. ✓
Watch out. Keep the same y-coordinate. You can change the x-coordinate to any number.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Plot (4, 2) properly, along first and then up, and compare it with the point Ravi marked.
- Plot (4, 2) correctly. Go 4 along, then 2 up.The red point is (4, 2): 4 along and 2 up.
- Find where Ravi put his cross. Ravi’s cross (blue) is 2 along and 4 up.Ravi’s point is (2, 4).
- Say what went wrong. He went up first.Ravi went 2 along and 4 up. He should go 4 along and 2 up.
Check. (2, 4) and (4, 2) are different points. ✓
Watch out. Along (x) first, then up (y).
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. A square needs four sides of the same length. Work out how long the sides are by counting squares on the grid.
- Plot the points and join them. Join A, B, C, D in order.
- Count the length of each side. Count the squares along each side.AB goes along from 1 to 4: 3 long.
BC goes up from 2 to 6: 4 long.
CD is 3 long and DA is 4 long. - Decide. In a square all four sides are the same. Here they are 3, 4, 3 and 4.Jack is wrong. The shape has 4 right angles, but the sides are not all equal, so it is a rectangle.
Check. 3 × 4 = 12 squares inside. A square with a side of 3 would have 9 squares inside, so it is not that. ✓
Watch out. A square has four equal sides. A rectangle has four right angles but its sides may be different.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Think about examples. Is the statement true for all of them, some of them, or none?
- Think about points with the same y-coordinate. The second number is the same, for example (1, 5), (4, 5), (9, 5).They are all level with 5 on the y-axis.
- Think about the line. Points at the same height make a flat line.Flat means horizontal.
- Decide. This is always true.
Check. (2, 3), (6, 3) and (8, 3) are all on the line y = 3, which is flat. ✓
Watch out. Try some examples to test the sentence.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Think about examples. Is the statement true for all of them, some of them, or none?
- Try a square. A square has 4 right angles.A square: 4 right angles. It fits the sentence.
- Try a rectangle that is not a square. It also has 4 right angles.A 3 by 4 rectangle has 4 right angles. It is not a square.
- Decide. It is true for squares but not for all shapes with 4 right angles.This is sometimes true.
Check. A 2 by 2 shape is a square. A 2 by 5 shape is not. ✓
Watch out. Try some examples to test the sentence.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides.
Method. Think about examples. Is the statement true for all of them, some of them, or none?
- Look at the points. Write each pair.(1, 2), (2, 3), (3, 4)
- Compare the y-coordinates. The second numbers are 2, 3 and 4.They are different.
- Decide. Points on a horizontal line must have the same y-coordinate.This is never true.
Check. The points go up as they go along, so the line slopes. It is not flat. ✓
Watch out. Try some examples to test the sentence.
Key words. To plot a point means to mark it on a grid with a small cross or dot. A vertex is a corner of a shape (more than one are called vertices). A polygon is a flat shape with straight sides. The perimeter is the distance all the way round a shape.
Method. Plot the rectangle. Then count the length of each side and add the four sides together to find the perimeter.
- Plot and join the points. Join A, B, C, D in order.
- Find the length and width. Count squares along the sides.AB goes along from 2 to 6: 4 cm.
BC goes up from 1 to 4: 3 cm. - Add all four sides. The perimeter is the distance all the way round.4 + 3 + 4 + 3 = 14 cm
Check. 2 × (4 + 3) = 2 × 7 = 14. ✓
Watch out. Add all four sides, not just two.