Applet: Rectangular and Polar Coordinates
Drag point A around the coordinate plane to
explore the relationship between rectangular
and polar coordinates.
Use the checkboxes to
show or hide each coordinate representation.
Exploration Questions;
-
As you move point A around the coordinate plane,
what relationship do you observe between the
rectangular coordinates (x, y) and the polar
coordinates (r, α)?
-
Move point A to different positions while keeping
its distance from the origin approximately constant.
What happens to the rectangular coordinates as
the angle changes?
-
Move point A into each of the four quadrants.
How do the signs of x and y change, and how
does the polar angle help identify the quadrant?