Cartesian coordinate system  (click for larger image in new window) n. A coordinate system in which the coordinates of a point are its distances from a set of perpendicular lines that intersect at an origin, such as two lines in a plane or three in space. |
| Main Entry: | Cartesian Coordinate System |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | See coordinate plane |
Cartesian coordinate system  (kär-tē'zhən) Pronunciation Key
A system in which the location of a point is given by coordinates that represent its distances from perpendicular lines that intersect at a point called the origin. A Cartesian coordinate system in a plane has two perpendicular lines (the x-axis and y-axis); in three-dimensional space, it has three (the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis). Compare polar coordinate system. |