How are the x-axis and y-axis arranged in the Cartesian coordinate plane?

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Diagram showing a double cone intersected by planes at different angles, producing the conic sections: a horizontal plane creates a circle, a tilted plane creates an ellipse, a plane parallel to the cone's side forms a parabola, and a steep plane produces a hyperbola. Each section is labeled, with the axis and apex of the cone indicated. — analytic geometry The conic sections result from intersecting a plane with a double cone, as shown in the figure. There are three distinct families of conic sections: the ellipse (including the circle), the parabola (with one branch), and the hyperbola (with two branches).

In the Cartesian coordinate plane, the x-axis and y-axis are arranged as two perpendicular lines that intersect at a point known as the origin. This system is fundamental to analytic geometry for describing the position of points in a two-dimensional space.1

The arrangement follows these conventions:

Orientation: The x-axis is horizontal, while the y-axis is vertical.1
The Origin: The point of intersection represents the value zero for both axes.1
Directionality:
- On the x-axis, positive values extend to the right of the origin, and negative values extend to the left.1
- On the y-axis, positive values extend above the origin, and negative values extend below.1
Quadrants: These intersecting axes divide the plane into four distinct regions called quadrants, which are defined by the signs of the x and y coordinates.1