On September 28, 2023, a secret reveal enlightened many curious mathematical minds: Desmos 3D Graphing Calculator.
Desmos 3D Calculator is a free graphing tool, built upon the previous Desmos 2D Graphing Calculator, developed to turn math into life through a digital world. Before Desmos 3D’s official launch, people had already used innovative hacks and tricks to transform the 2D desmos into 3D perspectives. As these graphs became more popular, Desmos decided to take on the challenge of officially launching a 3D graphing calculator.
Geometry and Multivariable Calculus use Desmos 3D to enhance students’ understanding of how points, curves, and surfaces behave. Desmos 3D leads users into the realm of three-dimensional mathematical exploration through visualization. There are various “quests” for users to complete on Desmos 3D, acting as tutorials that walk users through the calculator’s functions.
Before graphing calculators were commonly used, professors would hand-draw everything in chalk. “I am a very visual thinker, and I’m also a very bad artist,” Multivariable Calculus teacher Zach Sheffert said. In class, Sheffert implemented games and worksheets to enhance students’ learning in visualizing 3D surfaces when working with steepness and depth.
“I found other tools that worked well, but they were hard to use. When Desmos 3D came out, it immediately let me do amazing stuff and break down complex mathematical concepts and present them to students through graphs,” Sheffert said.
The Desmos 3D Calculator consists of two primary components: expressions entry and a 3D cube display. The 3D cube provides an interactive 3D visualization of the entered mathematical expression on the XYZ planes. From graphing lines to drawing a pringle chip, users can plot points, graph curves, and visualize surfaces. Users can also manipulate the graph’s location, shape, and size by editing expressions on the left side of the calculator.
Desmos 3D also allows users to fine-tune the appearance of their graph, making adjustments like axis bounds and surface transparency using the wrench tool. And just like Desmos 2D, the 3D Calculator allows users to trace points, zoom in and out, and customize the colors of the various entered expressions. Multiple expressions can be displayed simultaneously, with the option to select or deselect specific ones.
To explore these digital plots, users can also alter the graph’s perspective by adjusting the orientation of the 3D cube. Rotating the graph is as simple as clicking, dragging, and releasing the cube with the cursor. Users can also stop the rotation by clicking anywhere on the graph paper. This feature allows users to explore math from various perspectives, including the previous version of the XY plane from the bird’s-eye view.
Desmos 3D extends beyond basic math, catering to conic sections, surfaces, solids, vectors, parametric equations and more. Additionally, it incorporates a dedicated Desmos keyboard for statistics, calculus and number theory, making it a versatile tool for advanced mathematical exploration.
Compared to Desmos’ competitor, GeoGebra, Desmos’ commands are easier to navigate due to its user-friendly syntax. In GeoGebra, one often need to specify starting, minimum, and maximum values when incorporating sliders. Desmos, on the other hand, smoothly integrates sliders whenever one equate a variable to a numerical value (i.e. x=2). The syntax in GeoGebra is more intricate, and its functions may not be as intuitive as those in Desmos.
“A lot of states already let students use Desmos because Desmos is free. You don’t have to pay like $100 for a calculator. Through Desmos, fewer students will be under an unfair advantage just because they can’t afford to buy a calculator,” Sheffert said. In addition, there is a growing movement to allow Desmos to become accessible on different major standardized exams like the ACT and the SAT.
From Desmos’ syntax to its purpose and accessibility, the overall experience of Desmos 3D is highly satisfying. Desmos 3D Graphing Calculator is highly recommended as a tool to navigate a math problem or an entertainment to explore cool shapes in the third dimension.
Rating: ★★★★★
Desmos 3D
Price: Free
