- 1). Use a ruler to draw a line across the middle of the graph paper (horizontally), then another line up and down the middle of the page (vertically). The two lines should cross in the middle, but they don't have to extend all the way to the edges.
- 2). Label the horizontal line, which is the x-axis, with a lower case "x". The vertical y-axis is labeled with a lower case "y". While more advanced graphers won't need to do this, it's a helpful trick for beginners who might get the two axes confused.
- 3). Establish a scale for the graph. In most cases each intersection of lines in the graph paper's grid will be worth one unit of whatever you're graphing, whether it be feet, inches, miles, degrees and so on. But if you're graphing especially large values you may want to assign a different value to each line. For example each grid intersection on the graph could be worth 10, 100 or even 1,000 units. You can use any number you like as long as it's consistent throughout the entire graph.
- 4). Graph points on the graph by starting at the center of the graph, which is also known as the origin and is assumed to have the coordinates (0,0). Count intersections on the graph paper along the x-axis to the right of the origin if the point you're graphing has a positive x-coordinate. If the x-coordinate is negative, count to the left of the origin. Place your pencil at the x-coordinate, but don't make any marks yet.
- 5). Start counting for the y-coordinate from where your pencil sits on the x-axis. If your y-coordinate is positive, count straight up by the appropriate number of units. If your y-coordinate is negative, count down by the appropriate number of units.
- 6). Draw a small dot at the grid intersection your pencil landed on. Note that if you were tasked with graphing the point (0,0) you would have simply marked a dot at the origin where the x- and y-axes meet. Depending on what sort of graph you're making you may also want to mark the points you graph with small letters or with their coordinates.
- 7). Continue graphing points until you have mapped out enough points to define the shape you're creating, whether it's a line, a geometric shape or a conic section. Then draw in the rest of the line, geometric shape or conic section. If you're doing a scatter plot or other type of graph where there's no need to connect the dots, just graph the necessary information points.
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