Position on a screen — Computing, 4–6 years
A computer can describe where something is on a screen. Knowing position helps it place, move and find characters, pictures and buttons.
Where things are
On a screen, every object has a place: left or right, high or low. A computer can keep track of that place, even when the object moves. This is why a character can walk across a scene instead of appearing somewhere by chance.
Why place matters
To move an object sensibly, a computer must know where it starts and where it should go. A maze, a drawing tool and a game all need this information. Without position, a command like “move right” would have no clear starting place.
Move a ball
Imagine a ball on a grid. It starts in the middle, at column 2 and row 2. Move it one place right: it is now column 3, row 2. Move it one place down: it becomes column 3, row 3. The computer can draw it at that new place.
Mixing up directions
A common mistake is moving something up when you meant down, or changing the row when you meant the column. That is reasonable because the screen is flat and the two directions can look similar. Mark the starting place, then change only one direction at a time.
Maps, games and photos
Position is used when a map shows your place, when a game moves a player, and when an app places a sticker on a photo. It is also useful for buttons: the device checks where you touched to decide which button you chose.
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