Excel has many wide openings for those who seek guidance in terms of learning new skills. Similarly, when you need to learn how to graph a function in Excel, it could be off-putting at times but it is good to know. With Excel, the process becomes a piece of cake when you start learning new to execute new functions. Today, we will discuss how you can graph a function in Excel with a step-by-step procedure.
What are Functions?
Before getting started with our main topic, let’s understand what functions are.
Usually, when a set of calculations contains a limited set of operations along with a variable to get the results is called functions. Simply, you get a relationship between the input as well as the output. Let’s understand this further with an example.
Have you ever heard about trigonometric functions such as the Pythagoras theorem (c2=a2+b2 ) or quadratic equations such as ax2+bx+c=0.
How to Graph a Function in Excel?
Functions can be used in Excel to make a relationship between the input as well as output. For this, you can use two different ways:
- Use Functions from Excel Library
If you are a regular user of Excel, you must know that it has a huge built-in library of functions that can be used anytime. From the library, you just need to pick a function as per your choice and then simply add the values from the data and Excel will ultimately give you the outcome.
- Choose a cell.
- Add any value.
- Make your input value as Angle and output value as Sine.
- Now, click on any cell to enter the function.
- Move on toward the Formulas in the menu bar.
- Under Function Library, you will find different functions including Logical, Financial, Math & Trig, etc.
- Choose any of these functions as per your operation.
- Click on Insert Function from the Function Library in case you are unable to find the functions.
- A dialog box of Insert Function will pop up.
- From there, you can choose the category and select the function you need.
- On the other hand, if you are still not able to find the function you need, enter the description and Excel will give you a list of all the relevant functions to choose from.
- Now, you will surely find the function.
- Click OK once you choose the function.
- Another dialog box will pop up, from which you will have to add the arguments for the function.
- Add any constant value or choose the name of the cell in the text box.
- Click OK.
- Here we have added the argument as A4.
- You will get the Sine value for the input you have added. With Drag Handle, you can perform the function on other cells.
- Manually Adding the Function
Sometimes, you may not find the desired function from the Excel Function Library. For this, you can make a function manually to get the desired output.
Don’t worry manual work is not a tiring thing this time. You just need to add an “=” right before the function in the cell you need and type them. Add the cell number to get the result.
Let’s have an example of a quadratic equation= 4×2+2x+5.
- Here x is the input and y is the output value to be calculated. You may add multiple inputs in multiple cells to get different values for the quadratic function. Add the inputs in one column and it would be as x. Your input values could be decimal, negative, zero, or positive.
- Our desired cell here is B4 that’s why adding the function to replace x as:
=4(A4)2+2(A4)+5
- Also, don’t forget to add “*” where multiplication is needed to add functions manually.
- Press ENTER key.
- Now, you will get the desired output of the function. For the application of the procedure to other cells, you can use the Drag Handle.
Final Words:
In this post, you have learned how to graph a function in Excel as you know function plotting in terms of a graph will give you an idea about how to use the function conveniently so that you can interpret the data.
Hopefully, this article is a great help to everyone. Keep learning!
