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How to Plot on Ti-83

Scientists and researchers often find it useful to relate one value or measurement to a different value or measurement. A Cartesian coordinate system, or x-y graph, which provides a horizontal scale for x-values and a vertical scale for y-values is one way of relating two such values or measurements. For example, you may be studying the relationship between spotted weasel births and rainfall. To organize your data, you might plot it on an x-y graph, making your y-value weasel births and your x-value rainfall in inches. If the number of weasel births in one month is one and the rainfall that month is three inches, one point on your x-y graph will be (1,3). A TI-83 makes plotting data points like these easy.

Things You'll Need

  • Pencil
  • Paper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Write the points you want to plot on your TI-83. For example, write, "(1,3) (3,5) (7,11)." The first number in the parentheses is your x-coordinate, or x-value; the second number is your y-coordinate, or y-value.

    • 2

      Turn on your TI-83 and press the "STAT" button. Press the blue left-arrow button until "EDIT" at the top of the screen is highlighted. Press the 1 button.

    • 3

      Press the blue left-arrow button until the cursor is in the column on the display headed "L1." Press the blue up-arrow button until "L1" at the top of the column is highlighted. Press, "CLEAR." Press, "ENTER."

    • 4

      Enter the first coordinate, or x-value, of the first point you want to plot, and then press, "ENTER." For example, press the 1 button then press, "ENTER."

    • 5

      Enter the first coordinate, or x-value, of the second point you want to plot, and then press, "ENTER." For example, press the 3 button then press, "ENTER."

    • 6

      Enter the first coordinate, or x-value, of the third point you want to plot, and then press, "ENTER." For example, press the 7 button then press, "ENTER." Continue entering your x-values until you have entered them all.

    • 7

      Press the blue right-arrow button. Press the blue up-arrow button until "L2" at the top of the column is highlighted. Press, "CLEAR." Press, "ENTER."

    • 8

      Enter the second coordinate, or y-value, of the first point you want to plot, and then press, "ENTER." For example, press the 3 button then press, "ENTER."

    • 9

      Enter the second coordinate, or y-value, of the second point you want to plot, and then press, "ENTER." For example, press the 5 button then press, "ENTER."

    • 10

      Enter the second coordinate, or y-value, of the third point you want to plot, and then press, "ENTER." For example, you press the 7 button, and then you press, "ENTER." Continue entering your y-values until you have entered them all.

    • 11

      Press the "Y=" button. Press, "CLEAR."

    • 12

      Press the blue down-arrow button and press, "CLEAR" if there is an equation following "\Y2=" on the screen. Clear any other equations on the screen in the same way.

    • 13

      Press the yellow "2nd" button. Press the "Y=" button again. Press 1. Press, "ENTER." Press the blue left-arrow button. Press, "ENTER." This turns on your plot.

    • 14

      Press the blue down-arrow button. Press the blue left-arrow button two times to select the small image that looks like points on an x-y graph. Press, "ENTER." This selects the type of graph you want, in this case, plotted points.

    • 15

      Press the blue down-arrow. Press the "2nd" button. Press 1. This tells your TI-83 to use the values in its L1 column for your plot's x-values.

    • 16

      Press the blue down-arrow. Press the "2nd" button. Press 2. This tells your TI-83 to use the values in its L2 column for your plot's y-values.

    • 17

      Press the blue down-arrow button. Press the blue left-arrow button two times to select the small image that looks like a hollow square. This tells your TI-83 to plot your points as small squares. Press, "ENTER."

    • 18

      Press the "ZOOM" button. Press 6. This tells your calculator to display your graph on a standard screen. Press the "GRAPH" button.


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