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If you need to plot a 2D graph using coordinates or an equation describing them, you’ll need to know about the X and Y axes, what they represent, and the order in which to use them. In this guide, you will learn about the X and Y axes and how to use them to plot coordinates on a 2D graph. You will also learn how to use the scatter chart in Google Sheets.

First, you will learn how to plot coordinates in the form of ordered pairs. After that, you will learn how to find coordinates using different types of equations. Finally, you will learn how to switch the X and Y axes in your Google Sheets graphs.

What is the X and Y Axis?

The coordinate grids on a 2D graph have two perpendicular lines called axes. These axes are labeled like number lines, and the point where they intersect is called the origin. The horizontal axis is usually called the X-axis, and the vertical one is called the Y-axis.

​​Which is First: X or Y?

All points on the plane of these axes are defined by their coordinates, given by an ordered pair (X,Y). For example, the coordinates of the origin are (0,0). The order is important when communicating these coordinates, and x always goes first. In the next section, you have several examples to illustrate this.

Examples of Using the X and Y Axis

Now that you know what the X and Y axes are, let’s see how you can use them to plot coordinates on a graph, whether they are in the form of ordered pairs or an equation describing the relationship between X and Y.

Plot Coordinates on a Graph

First, let’s see how to plot coordinates on a graph manually.

  1. 1. You’ve been given a set of ordered pairs that need to be plotted on a graph.

Coordinates: (1,2), (2,3), (3,4), (4,3)

  1. 2. Your graph should have perpendicular lines that cross at (0,0). Each line should be divided into equal units, like a number line.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Coordinate Grid
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Coordinate Grid
  1. 3. On the X-axis, find the first number in the first ordered pair.
  2. 4. Move up perpendicular to the Y-axis until you reach the second number of the ordered pair.
  3. 5. Mark the spot.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples First Coordinate
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - First Coordinate
  1. 6. Repeat steps 3-5 for each ordered pair, as shown below.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples All Coordinates
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - All Coordinates

Plot Coordinates on a Graph Using Google Sheets

Now, let’s see how to plot the coordinates from the previous example using Google Sheets. First, you need to organize the coordinates in tabular form, then use a scatter chart to graph them.

  1. 1. Open Google Sheets.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Open Google Sheets
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Open Google Sheets
  1. 2. Create a two-column table with the ordered pairs, as shown below.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Coordinate Table
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Coordinate Table
  1. 3. Select the cells containing the X and Y coordinates, and go to Insert > Chart.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Select X Y Values
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Select X & Y Values
  1. 4. From the ‘Chart editor’, under ‘Chart type’, select the ‘Scatter chart’. Below, you can see that the coordinates have been plotted on the graph.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Scatter Chart
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Scatter Chart
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Plot Equations on a Graph Using Google Sheets

Now that you know how easy it is to plot coordinates using google Sheets, it's time to learn how to plot an equation describing the relationship between X and Y values. First, you need to create the Y values using the equation. Once you have these, you can graph them using a scatter chart.

Plot Linear Equations in Google Sheets

In this example, you will learn how to plot a linear equation using Google Sheets. The equation is the following:

y = 3x + 3
  1. 1. Open Google Sheets and add column headers for X and Y, as shown below.
X Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Table Headers
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Table Headers
  1. 2. For the X values, type the numbers from 1 to 10, one per row.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Add X Values
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Add X Values
  1. 3. In the cell where you want the first Y value, type in the equation, replacing the X with the cell reference for the first value of X, as shown below.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Add Formula
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Add Formula
  1. 4. Grab the fill handle and drag it down to the last value.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Copy Formula
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Copy Formula
  1. 5. Select the values for X and Y and go to Insert > Chart.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Insert Chart
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Insert Chart
  1. 6. Make sure the chart type is a ‘Scatter chart’.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Scatter Chart
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Scatter Chart
  1. 7. You can add a trendline and use the equation as the label. Go to ‘Customize’ in the ‘Chart editor’ and click on ‘Series’. Scroll down, check the ‘Trendline’ checkbox, and select ‘Equation’ under ‘Label.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Trendline Equation Label
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Trendline & Equation Label

Plot Quadratic Equations on Google Sheets

In this example, you will learn how to plot a quadratic equation on a Google Sheets scatter chart. The equation is as follows:

y = 4x^2
  1. 1. In Google Sheets, add column headers for X and Y. In the first column, type the numbers from 1 to 10, one per row.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples X Values
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - X Values
  1. 2. In the cell where you want the first Y value, type in the equation, replacing the X with the cell reference for the first value of X, as shown below.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Y Values
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Y Values
  1. 3. Grab the fill handle and drag it down to get the rest of the Y values.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Copy Formula 2
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Copy Formula
  1. 4. Select the cells with the X and Y values and go to Insert > Chart.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Insert Chart 2
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Insert Chart
  1. 5. Check that the chart type is the ‘Scatter chart’.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Scatter Chart 2
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Scatter Chart
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How to Switch the X and Y Axis?

When creating graphs or charts, Google Sheets takes a pretty good guess at the type of chart you want, and which values are on the X and Y axes. However, you may need to switch them to visualize data more clearly. As the expectation is that X values will be on the horizontal axis, be sure to change the labels to avoid confusion.

You already know how to change the chart type, but how do you switch the axes? Follow the instructions below to flip the axes on your Google Sheets graph.

  1. 1. Select your chart and double click to get the ‘Chart editor’.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Chart Editor
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Chart Editor
  1. 2. In the ‘Setup’ tab, you can see the selection for the ‘X-axis’ and the ‘Y-axis’, labeled as ‘Series’. Use the dropdown menus to switch them.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Switch Axes
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Switch Axes
  1. 3. That’s it. However, the Y-axis label needs to be changed, too.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Wrong Label 2
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Wrong Label
  1. 4. Right-click to get the menu or go to ‘Chart & axis titles’ in the ‘Customize’ tab.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Change Y axis Label
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Change Y-axis Label
  1. 5. That’s it. The X and Y axes have been switched.
X And Y Axis Definition Equation Examples Switched Axes
X And Y Axis: Definition, Equation, Examples - Switched Axes

Conclusion

It’s easy to work with coordinate grids. You can easily plot coordinates on a 2D graph using ordered pairs. However, it's even easier to do it in Google Sheets. You have step-by-step instructions on how to organize X and Y values in tabular form and how to graph them using a scatter chart in Google Sheets.

You also know how to find coordinates using different types of equations and use the scatter chart to graph them. Finally, you know how to switch the X and Y axes and when it's appropriate to do so.

Hady ElHady
Hady is Content Lead at Layer.

Hady has a passion for tech, marketing, and spreadsheets. Besides his Computer Science degree, he has vast experience in developing, launching, and scaling content marketing processes at SaaS startups.

Originally published Jan 26 2023, Updated Jun 26 2023

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