How to use the graphing calculator
Each row on the left is one function of x. The calculator parses what you type the way you would write it on paper, so 2x, 3(x+1), and x sin(x) all work without a multiplication sign. Errors show under the row as you type and the curve updates on every keystroke. Every graph gets its own colour, and the checkbox in front of a row hides it without losing the expression.
Typing functions
| What you want | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Powers | x^2, 2^x, x^(1/3) | ^ binds tighter than minus, so -x^2 is -(x²) |
| Multiplication | 2x, 3(x-1), 2*x | Implicit multiplication is allowed |
| Roots and absolute value | sqrt(x), cbrt(x), abs(x) | √x also works |
| Trigonometry | sin(x), cos(2x), tan x, asin(x) | Also sec, csc, cot, sinh, cosh, tanh |
| Exponentials and logs | e^x, exp(x), ln(x), log(x), log2(x) | log is base 10, ln is natural |
| Constants | pi, e, tau | π is accepted too |
| Piecewise helpers | floor(x), ceil(x), round(x), sign(x), min(x, 2), max(x, 0) | Steps and clamps |
Ten graphs to try
| Expression | What it shows |
|---|---|
x^2 | A parabola with its vertex at the origin. Turn on points to see the minimum at (0, 0). |
x^3 - 3x | A cubic with a local maximum at (-1, 2) and a local minimum at (1, -2). |
sin(x) | One wave every 2π. In radians mode the x axis switches to multiples of π. |
tan(x) | Vertical asymptotes every π units, drawn as gaps rather than lines. |
1/x | A hyperbola. The two branches never touch the axes. |
sqrt(x) | Defined only for x ≥ 0, so the curve starts at the origin. |
abs(x) - 2 | A V shape with x-intercepts at -2 and 2. |
e^(-x^2) | The bell curve. Zoom out to see it flatten to zero. |
ln(x) | Crosses the x axis at (1, 0) and drops to -∞ as x approaches 0. |
2sin(x) + cos(3x) | Add a second row with sin(x) and turn on intersections. |
Moving around the graph
Drag the graph with a mouse or finger to pan. Zoom with the scroll wheel, a pinch gesture, the + and − buttons, or a double click. With the graph focused, the arrow keys pan and the + and − keys zoom. Reset view returns to -10 to 10 on both axes. Square axes keeps your x range and adjusts the y range so one unit is the same length in both directions, which matters when you want a circle to look like a circle or a slope of 1 to sit at 45 degrees.
Reading coordinates
Hover over a curve and a dot follows it, showing the (x, y) pair at that x. On a phone, tap the curve to pin the dot and tap empty space to clear it. The same coordinates appear in the text line under the graph so a screen reader can announce them.
Finding intercepts, extrema, and intersections
Tick Show intercepts, extrema, intersections. For every visible function the calculator marks each x-intercept (where y = 0), each local maximum and minimum, and every point where two of your functions cross, labelled with its coordinates. The points are found numerically: the plotter looks for sign changes between sampled points and then narrows each one down by bisection (for roots and intersections) or golden-section search (for extrema) to double precision. Only points inside the current view are reported, so pan or zoom out to find more, and zoom in when two features are close together. Curves that merely touch the axis without crossing, such as x² at the origin, are reported as extrema rather than roots.
Degrees vs radians
Trigonometric functions take radians by default, which is what calculus and most graphing calculators expect: sin(x) completes a cycle every 2π ≈ 6.28 units, and the x axis is labelled in multiples of π whenever a trig function is on screen. Switch to Degrees and sin(x) instead completes a cycle every 360 units, so you will need to zoom out to see it. Inverse functions follow the same setting: asin(1) is π/2 in radians and 90 in degrees. The setting is part of the shareable link.
Sharing a graph
The address bar updates as you edit, so copying the URL copies the graph, including the expressions, the visible window, and the angle mode. Copy link does that in one click.
Graphing calculator vs Desmos vs TI-84
Desmos is the reference for browser graphing and does far more than this page: sliders, tables, regressions, inequalities, parametric and polar plots. If you need those, use Desmos. This calculator aims to be the fastest way to see a function of x and its key points: no account, no loading screen, and a page that weighs a few kilobytes of script, so it opens instantly on a slow connection or an old phone.
A TI-84 is what exams often require, and its graphing screen works the same way as the one here: enter Y1 and Y2, set the window, then use CALC for zeros, minimums, maximums, and intersections. The difference is that the TI-84 asks you for left and right bounds and a guess before each calculation, while this page finds every visible point at once. Practising here first makes the TI-84 workflow much easier to follow, because you already know what the answer should look like.