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Online Graphing Calculator
Plot any function, polar or parametric curve, and solve equations with the working shown. Function, polar and parametric modes included.
Expressions
Keypad
Table of Values
| x | y |
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The Basics
How to graph a function
Graphing a function means turning an equation into a picture. It sounds simple because it is — but the three steps below are what separate a curve that looks right from one that is technically plotted and completely wrong.
Step 1 — Write the equation
Type it into the expression box. You can write y = x^2 - 3or just x^2 - 3 — the tool assumes y = for you. Multiplication can be implicit, so 2x works as well as 2*x.
Step 2 — Set the window
Before you trust what you see, check the viewing window. The default runs from −10 to 10 on both axes. If your curve is a flat line, you are zoomed in too far. If it is off the screen entirely, you are zoomed out too far. The reset button in the toolbar returns you to standard.
Step 3 — Read the graph
Drag the pointer along the curve to read exact coordinates, or switch on tracing to step through values one at a time. For a table of values — useful when a question asks for a specific input — use the table button in the toolbar.
Reading shapes quickly
A straight line is linear. A curve that opens upward or downward is quadratic, and its lowest or highest point is the vertex. A curve that rises on both ends is an absolute value function. S-shaped curves are cubic or exponential. Recognising the shape tells you which transformation you are looking at before you read a single number.
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