How to Graph Numbers on a Polar Grid
- 1). Write down the coordinates in table format. Under normal circumstances, there are two variables as in x-y graphs. The first variable is normally an angle in polar graphs. The second variable is the dependent variable that changes with the angle. Put the appropriate headings/units at the top of the table. For example: "Angle (Degrees)."
- 2). Plot the first data point. The angular graph paper should make this easy, and a protractor should not be needed. The angles are marked on the paper, starting with 0 degrees for the line pointing to the right from the center of the circle. Angles then increase as one travels counterclockwise around the circle.
Find the angle that corresponds to the value in the first data point, and make a faint mark. The second variable is normally plotted as a length. Align the ruler between the center of the circle and the faint mark made earlier. Mark a point at the length of the second variable. If the length is too long, scale the data so that all data points will fit on the graph. For example, if the first point is (45,5), the point would be placed at 45 degrees and at a distance 5 mm from the center of the circle. - 3). Plot the remaining data points. After all data points have been plotted, they can be connected by drawing a line between adjacent points.
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