Build a graph in excel by points. How to plot a function in Excel. Formatting X and Y Values

Excel is a great tool for working both in the office and at home. It is perfect for calculating your vacation expenses and for making serious financial conclusions for a large company. A whole series of our articles is already devoted to various functions Excel programs. Let's deal with another feature of this wonderful app. So, how to plot a function in Excel?

Select the entire table to be converted to a chart and click Insert. On the insert tab, select among pie charts, histograms, line charts, column charts, scatter, radar, surface, area, and margin plots. We chose the chart in columns.

On the Graphic Design tab, the user can change the colors used. Several palettes are available, just click the "Change Colors" button. If you need to add text elements to a graphic, click the Add Graphic Element button and choose from the available options, from captions to titles and axes.

Plotting a Function in Excel

Excel allows you to build not only ordinary graphs, but even graphs of various mathematical functions. Here are the steps you need to take to plot a function graph in Excel:

  • Open a blank sheet in Excel or create a new project.
  • Create two columns. The first is to write an argument. The second will have a function.
  • Enter in the first column, that is, in the X column, such X values ​​\u200b\u200bthat would suit you for calculating and plotting the function graph. You need to specify the segment on which the function will be built.
  • Enter the function formula in the next column. According to this formula, the graph will be built.
  • "=" sign. All formulas in Excel begin with it. It is not necessary to enter the necessary formula in each line, as this is inconvenient. Excel developers have provided everything you need. For the formula to appear in each cell, you need to stretch it. To do this, click on the cell with the formula. You will notice a small square in the lower right corner of the cell. Hover your mouse over the square so that the cursor changes. Now pinch right button mouse and drag the formula to as many cells as you need. This is necessary in order to graph the function in Excel.
  • Now you can proceed to the direct construction of the graph. Select the Insert tab from the Menu. And in the Insert, select Chart.
  • Choose any of the suggested scatter plots. Click Next. Why a scatter plot and not some other? Other types of diagrams will not allow the user to create both an argument and a function in the same form. The value type accepts a reference to a group of desired cells.
  • After the done actions, a dialog box will appear where you need to click the Row button. Add a row using the Add button.
  • The following window will appear, where you need to set the search path for values ​​to plot.
  • Click on the thumbnail to select the desired cells Excel tables(after the value lines). Now just select the desired cells from the table.
  • Now, after all the values ​​are set, you must click the "Finish" button. Here's how to graph a function in Excel.

Now the graph has been built. This simple one allows you to build graphs of any complexity and size. Excel is a really powerful tool for handling the data you need.

If you want to change the look of the chart after it has been created, click the "Change Chart Type" button and choose from the available formats. To create a graph from a function, you must first enter the values ​​of the function. Example: We want to draw a graph of a function. Build a graph of functions.

Select the table formed by the entered data with the mouse. Select the desired image type. On the Custom Types tab, select Smooth Curve. On the next screen, click the " Serial number". Click the icon to return to the original data screen. This screen allows you to enter a title, display axes, grid, legend, formatting.

AT Microsoft Excel 2007 is quite easy to build charts and graphs of various kinds. Therefore, to build a graph of some standard mathematical function in Excel is not difficult. This computer science tutorial will walk you through the process of plotting a sine function in Microsoft Excel 2007.


We will describe the creation process using the example of Microsoft Excel 2007 (already outdated, but a very good version of the program). The process of plotting in the more recent Microsoft Excel 2010 will differ only in some details.

Here are some examples to help you create charts. Welcome to this new lesson Online. Also called a bell curve, or a Gaussian curve, or a normal distribution. In particular, we will see two different methods of using the Gaussian curve.

Formatting X and Y Values

For our first method, as usual, we will use a sample file, which can be seen in the image below. To do this, we use the formula. In the picture we can see, round blue, our full formula. The value, also circled in blue, is nothing but the result of our formula.

Excel spreadsheets were originally created by Microsoft for computing. We will use the results of our calculations as input data for plotting.

Step-by-step instructions for plotting a function graph in Excel 2007

  1. We launch a program that will create a new blank sheet of an Excel workbook. We sign two columns (B and C), in one of which the argument x will be written, and in the other - the function y.
  2. We enter in column B, the values ​​of the arguments x, starting from cell B3. You can use automatic copying of cells by first setting the step (the difference between the closest values ​​of the argument). The values ​​of the x argument can be set arbitrarily, but more often, values ​​close to zero are entered, taking into account negative and positive values. The graph will look very good if the values ​​are taken symmetrically about zero. We suggest choosing values ​​in the range from -3 to +3 in increments of 0.1. As a result, you will get 60 values, along which the graph of the function will be laid very smoothly.
  3. Next, in cell C3 we fill in the formula of the sine function or the one that you need to build. If you remember trigonometry, then the sine function is written as y = sin x.
  4. However, Excel formulas are different from math formulas, and always start with an equal sign - "=". In our example, you would write in cell C3 a formula like = SIN(B3).
  5. Hammer the formula in each new line very long and uncomfortable (imagine, you need to drive 60 times!). In order for the formula to be in each cell, you must "stretch" the formula from the first cell to all the others. In this case, the reference to the cell where the argument value is taken from will be shifted line by line.
  6. To do this, click on the cell with the typed formula. A small square should appear in the lower right corner of the cell. You should move the mouse cursor over it, and when the square turns into a cross, press the right button and copy the formula by dragging it down to the required number of cells.
  7. Let's move on to plotting the function graph. Go to Menu "Insert" -> "Chart" and select the appropriate scatter plot. Click the magic [Next] button.
  8. In the window that opens, click on the Row tab. Add a row by pressing the [Add] button.
  9. In this window, you need to specify from which range the numbers for the chart will be selected. To select the desired cells, click on the buttons one by one.
  10. After that, select those cells from which the values ​​for x and y will be selected.
  11. The last step is to click the [Finish] button.

Video tutorial on plotting a function graph using Microsoft Excel 2010


It remains only to correctly set up the graph of the function in Microsoft Excel, according to the requirements of your computer science teacher. In fact, the construction of a graph for a knowledgeable student takes at most 1-2 minutes. We wish you success in building more complex graphs.

Now we are all set to create our Gaussian curve. This is the first useful method for creating a Gaussian curve. For the second method, we will use a different sample file. So even if you have similar measurements or data, it calculates their mean and standard deviation.

Plotting a Function in Excel

We open the bracket and select to: cell value "2A", our mean standard deviation. Let's choose in this example what I like best, this is a scatterplot. Our final result will be similar to the one shown in the image below.