1. The problem: Understand what quadrants are in the coordinate plane. 2. The coordinate plane is divided into four sections called quadrants by the x-axis (horizontal) and y-axis (vertical). 3. Each quadrant is a region where the signs of the coordinates $(x, y)$ are consistent: - Quadrant I: $x > 0$, $y > 0$ - Quadrant II: $x < 0$, $y > 0$ - Quadrant III: $x < 0$, $y < 0$ - Quadrant IV: $x > 0$, $y < 0$ 4. Points on the axes are not in any quadrant but lie on the boundary between quadrants. 5. Knowing the quadrant helps determine the sign of coordinates and is useful in graphing and solving problems involving the coordinate plane. 6. For example, the point $(3, 4)$ is in Quadrant I because both coordinates are positive. 7. The point $(-2, 5)$ is in Quadrant II because $x$ is negative and $y$ is positive. 8. This system helps in understanding the position of points and the behavior of functions in different regions of the plane.