Straight Lines
Maths: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 3.3.1
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.
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.
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.
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.