What notation should I use for exponents and multiplication?

Use ^ for exponents (x^2 for x squared) and either * or implicit adjacency for multiplication (2x and 2*x both work, as does 2(x+1) for distributing). Parentheses group terms exactly as in standard math notation.

Why does part of my graph appear to be missing?

This usually happens where the function is undefined or produces an extreme value within the current x-range — like tan(x) near its vertical asymptotes, or sqrt() of a negative number. The tool breaks the line at those points rather than drawing a misleading connection across them.

How is the y-axis scale determined?

It automatically fits to the function's actual minimum and maximum values across the visible x-range, with a small padding margin — this keeps the curve's shape clearly visible regardless of how large or small its values are.

Which functions are supported?

sin, cos, tan, asin, acos, atan, sqrt, abs, exp, log (base 10), and ln (natural log), along with the constants pi and e — covering the functions most commonly needed for algebra, precalculus, and early calculus graphing.

Why does 2^3^2 evaluate to 512, not 64?

Exponentiation is right-associative in standard mathematical convention, meaning 2^3^2 is evaluated as 2^(3^2) = 2^9 = 512, not (2^3)^2 = 64. This tool follows that same standard convention, matching how graphing calculators and programming languages handle chained exponents.

Function Plotter — Free Online Tool

Features

Runs entirely in your browser
Privacy-first — your data is never uploaded
Real-time, instant results
100% free, no sign-up required
Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
No installation needed

Who uses this tool?

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About Function Plotter

Seeing a function's shape often reveals things a formula alone doesn't — where it crosses zero, whether it has a maximum or minimum, how steeply it rises or falls, or whether it repeats in a pattern. Graphing by hand, point by point, is tedious and easy to get subtly wrong near curves and turning points.

This tool plots any function of x on a canvas, supporting standard arithmetic (+, −, ×, ÷, exponents), parentheses, implicit multiplication (like 2x or 2(x+1)), and common functions including sin, cos, tan, sqrt, abs, log, ln, and exp. Adjust the visible x-range to zoom into a specific region or see the broader shape of the curve.

The expression is parsed with a proper tokenizer and recursive-descent parser rather than a shortcut evaluation method, correctly handling operator precedence (multiplication before addition), right-associative exponents (2^3^2 means 2^(3^2)), and unary minus interacting correctly with exponentiation (−2^2 equals −4, not 4) — all verified against hand-computed expected values.

This is useful for visualizing algebra and precalculus functions for homework, checking the shape of a function before working with it analytically, exploring how changing coefficients affects a graph's shape, and general math learning and exploration.

How it works

Enter a function of x. Using standard notation: x^2, sin(x), sqrt(x), 2(x+1), and so on.
Set the x-axis range. Adjust the min and max to zoom in or see the broader shape.
View the plotted curve. The y-axis scales automatically to fit the function's values.

Examples

Graphing a parabola

Input

x^2 - 2x - 3

Output

A parabola crossing the x-axis at x = -1 and x = 3

Graphing a trigonometric function