TI-83 Resource Website -- Graphing Basics -- Graphing a Function

TI-83 Resource Website

Graphing Basics

Graphing a Function

A convenient way to quickly see what a function looks like is to graph it, especially when the function is complicated and difficult to graph by hand.

Example: Graph f(x) = -35x² + 120x + 440

Step 1: Press Y = , the left-most blue menu button directly below the screen.

Step 2: Enter the function . You can enter the numbers using the number pad (gray buttons), enter the variable using the X,T,O,n button (to the right of the green ALPHA button), and enter the operators using the blue buttons (to the right of the number pad) and the parentheses buttons (above the 7 and 8). You can enter the square exponent using the x² button or using the carat ^ (above the blue division button) then entering 2.

Step 3: Press WINDOW, the blue menu button directly below the screen, second from the left. Adjust the window settings. Use numbers that correlate or "fit" with your function (i.e. note the numbers used for this function.)

Step 4: Alternatively, you can choose ZOOM (the middle blue menu button), then select 0: FIT. You can either press 0 or use your blue cursor buttons to move down. This will give you a good starting point for your window settings and you can adjust from there as needed (see Step 3).

Step 5: press GRAPH (the right-most blue menu button directly below the screen)

Related Links

This site was last updated 08/16/02 and is maintained by Donna L. Sperry

Step 1: Press Y = , the left-most blue menu button directly below the screen.
Step 2: Enter the function . You can enter the numbers using the number pad (gray buttons), enter the variable using the X,T,O,n button (to the right of the green ALPHA button), and enter the operators using the blue buttons (to the right of the number pad) and the parentheses buttons (above the 7 and 8). You can enter the square exponent using the x² button or using the carat ^ (above the blue division button) then entering 2.
Step 3: Press WINDOW, the blue menu button directly below the screen, second from the left. Adjust the window settings. Use numbers that correlate or "fit" with your function (i.e. note the numbers used for this function.)
Step 4: Alternatively, you can choose ZOOM (the middle blue menu button), then select 0: FIT. You can either press 0 or use your blue cursor buttons to move down. This will give you a good starting point for your window settings and you can adjust from there as needed (see Step 3).
Step 5: press GRAPH (the right-most blue menu button directly below the screen)