To determine the x-coordinate of a point, you need to identify the first number in the coordinate pair $(x, y)$.

More specifically, coordinates are expressed as pairs of numbers in the format $(x, y)$. The x-coordinate indicates the point’s position along the x-axis (the horizontal axis). For instance, in the coordinate pair $(3, 5)$, the x-coordinate is $3$. This implies that you move $3$ units to the right from the origin $(0, 0)$ along the x-axis.

When working with a graph, you can locate the x-coordinate by identifying the point and then drawing a vertical line down to the x-axis. The intersection of this vertical line with the x-axis represents the x-coordinate. For example, if a point is plotted at $(4, 2)$, you would draw a vertical line from that point down to the x-axis, which would intersect the x-axis at $4$.

In algebraic contexts, you might encounter a scenario where you are given an equation and asked to find the x-coordinate corresponding to a specific value of $y$. To do this, substitute the given $y$-value into the equation and solve for $x$. For example, if you have the equation $y = 2x + 1$ and need to find the x-coordinate when $y = 5$, you would set up the equation:

By solving for $x$, you find:

Understanding how to find the x-coordinate is crucial for graphing points, solving equations, and analyzing data in GCSE Maths.