Question

Express the polar coordinates (-1, 180) as Cartesian coordinates.

Answer 1

Answer: The correct point is (1, 0)

In polar coordinates, the first number is the distance from the origin in any direction. The second number is an angle measurement that tells us the direction to go from the origin.

Therefore, we have to move -1 one unit (or backwards) from the origin. Now, all we need to know is the direction to move.

The second number is 180, so we make an angle of 180 degrees and move in that direction.

But where do we start?

We always start from the origin straight right along the x-axis. That is degrees 0. So a 180 degree angle would move us left along the x-axis. But remember, we are moving back 1 space, so we will end up at (1, 0).