What is ordinate?

In geometry and mathematics, an ordinate refers to the vertical axis or y-axis in a Cartesian coordinate system. The ordinate is perpendicular to the horizontal axis or x-axis, and it represents the distance between a point and the x-axis. In a two-dimensional coordinate system, any point can be represented by a pair of coordinates, where the first value is the x-coordinate (abscissa) and the second value is the y-coordinate (ordinate). The ordinate is measured in units that are equal to the units on the x-axis. Coordinates are used to locate points on a plane, graph functions, plot data points, and solve equations. The term ordinate is also used in other fields like physics, engineering, and geography, where it refers to specific vertical measurements or values.