Interactive Geometry Dictionary: Areas in Geometry. Computing Pi. Circle Tool. Area Tool. Freudenthal Institute - Games for mathematics. Angle Sums. Geometric Solids. Surface Area of Cuboids. Rotational Symmetry. Angle Estimator. Points of Origin. Origin is a mathematical construct used to find an exact location or measurement along a line, on a flat plane, or in three-dimensional space. Identifying an origin, the point from which measurements originate, gives us a common frame of reference to describe a location or measurement. Temperature scales provide a practical application of the concept of origins. The Fahrenheit and Celsius scales assign arbitrary numbers to the temperatures of certain natural phenomena such as the freezing or boiling point of water.
On the Fahrenheit scale, the temperature at which water freezes is +32º. On the Kelvin scale used by scientists, temperature measurement has a set origin, not a designated one. The system used to describe locations on Earth provides another example of how origins provide a common frame of reference. The "prime meridian," which passes through Greenwich, England, has been designated as 0º longitude. Points of Origin.