# A question about Microsoft Excel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-microsoft-excel/150462>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 23, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-microsoft-excel/150462 "2003-01-23T16:07:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-microsoft-excel/150462/1 "2003-01-23T16:07:14Z")

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Let us suppose I wanted to graph a function - say, y=5x+4 or y=sin(x) or something.

Is there a tool in Microsoft Excel that will allow me to do this, and display the line/curve on a Cartesian graph?

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**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-microsoft-excel/150462/2 "2003-01-23T16:33:59Z")

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Sure. In the first column, put 1,2,3,… Next to it write a little formula: this cell=(that cell)with that done to it + 3. Fill the second column. Press the little picture button.

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**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\
**Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-microsoft-excel/150462/3 "2003-01-23T16:36:10Z")

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well, you can just make two coulms, one with the independent variable and anoter with the function, and then create a graph. That’s what I do. 100 or 200 points should do it fine. Maybe less depending on the resolution you need.