3.3.1

Straight Lines

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Straight Lines

There are special words we use in maths to describe straight lines which are drawn in different ways. These words describe the direction of the lines.

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Horizontal lines

  • Horizontal lines go straight across left to right in the direction of the horizon.
  • In your English book, the lines you write on are horizontal on the page.
  • The top of a goal post is a horizontal bar.
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Horizon

  • Horizontal comes from the word horizon which is what seems to be a straight line when you look out to sea where the Earth meets the sky.
  • In real life, it’s not a straight line because the Earth is a sphere.
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Vertical lines

  • Vertical lines go straight up and down.
  • In your maths books, the squares are made of horizontal and vertical lines.
  • The side posts of a rugby goal are vertical.

Jump to other topics

1Year 3 - Number

2Year 3 - Measurement

3Year 3 - Geometry

4Year 3 - Statistics

5Year 4 - Number

6Year 4 - Measurement

7Year 4 - Geometry

8Year 4 - Statistics

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