HTML and CSS Certification Practice Test

The type of positioning that places an element at specified coordinates is absolute positioning. This positioning method removes the element from the normal document flow, allowing it to overlap other elements without affecting their layout. With absolute positioning, you can specify the exact coordinates (top, right, bottom, left) relative to the nearest positioned ancestor (an ancestor that has a position other than static). If there is no such ancestor, it will position the element relative to the initial containing block, which is usually the viewport.

Static positioning, on the other hand, does not allow for precise placement using coordinates; the element is positioned according to the normal flow of the document and does not respond to top, right, bottom, or left properties. Relative positioning shifts an element in relation to its normal position but does not place it according to specific coordinates. Fixed positioning keeps the element at a fixed position in the viewport, regardless of scrolling, but also does not allow for placement relative to other elements or coordinates in the same way that absolute positioning does.