How to Calculate With a Free Graphing Calculator
There are free graphing calculators online that you can use to calculate solutions to mathematical problems. The basic type of graphing calculators is a mathematical graphing calculator. These calculators let you input a mathematical function and will then calculate and plot the solution. There are two major types of graphing calculators for mathematics: two dimensional and three dimensional. Two-dimensional graphing calculators calculate the solution for equations with two variables and three dimensional calculate the solution for equations with three variables.
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Instructions
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Write down the equation you want to calculate. Use standard mathematical notation that is required for the calculator: the caret symbol (^) for entering exponents, the forward slash (/) to specify division, the asterisk (*) for multiplication and the minus sign (-) for subtraction. Use parentheses to correctly specify the order of operation.
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Enter the equation into the graphing calculator's function (equation) text box. Press the "Plot" or "Graph" button.
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Examine the resulting plot. Use "Zoom in" or "Zoom out" features to fit the calculated graph into the graph display. Use "Pan" features to scroll across different regions of the graph.
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Determine the x-intercepts -- also know as roots or zeros -- of the equation by noting the points where the graph intersects the x-axis. Determine the y-intercepts of the equation by noting the points where the graphed equation intersects the y-axis. When you plot multiple equations, note the points where one graph intersects another graph. The intersecting points are the solution set of the equations.
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Tips & Warnings
If the calculator does not have automatic "Zoom in" and "Zoom out" functions, determine the range of values for which you want to find the solution. Use these values to set the lower and upper end points of the horizontal dimension of the graphing window. Use special features of the calculator such as "Root calculation" buttons and "Intersect calculation" buttons to find solution sets for single equations or multiple equations, also known as linear and non-linear systems of equations.
Syntax of the expressions you enter is important. Although most online graphing calculators follow similar syntax rules, differences do exist. For example, some graphing calculators don't allow any spaces in the equation you enter. Almost every calculator requires that you follow rules of mathematical order to calculate the correct answer. Use parentheses to specify the order in which operations are to be performed. Remember that a calculator calculates expressions in the following order: parentheses, exponentiation, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. The order is often referred to as PEMDAS order.
References
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