Polar axes in Matplotlib - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Plotting Data on Polar Axes with Matplotlib

📖 Scenario: You are working as a data analyst and need to visualize data that naturally fits a circular layout, like wind directions or angles. Polar plots help show such data clearly.

🎯 Goal: Build a simple polar plot using matplotlib to display data points on a circular graph.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a list of angles in radians called angles with exact values: 0, π/4, π/2, 3π/4, π

Create a list of radius values called radii with exact values: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Create a polar subplot using plt.subplot with projection='polar'

Plot the angles and radii on the polar axes using ax.plot

Display the plot using plt.show()

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Polar plots are useful for showing data that depends on angles, such as wind direction, compass bearings, or cyclic phenomena.

💼 Career

Data analysts and scientists often use polar plots to visualize directional data clearly and effectively.

1

Create the data lists for angles and radii

Create a list called angles with these exact values: 0, 0.7853981633974483, 1.5707963267948966, 2.356194490192345, 3.141592653589793 (these are 0, π/4, π/2, 3π/4, π in radians). Also create a list called radii with these exact values: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Matplotlib

# Create the angles list and radii list with exact values
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use a Python list with the exact floating point values for the angles and integers for radii.

2

Create a polar subplot

Import matplotlib.pyplot as plt. Then create a subplot called ax using plt.subplot with projection='polar'.

Matplotlib

angles = [0, 0.7853981633974483, 1.5707963267948966, 2.356194490192345, 3.141592653589793]
radii = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

# Import matplotlib.pyplot as plt and create a polar subplot ax
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use import matplotlib.pyplot as plt and plt.subplot(projection='polar').

3

Plot the data on the polar axes

Use the ax.plot method to plot the angles and radii lists on the polar subplot.

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

angles = [0, 0.7853981633974483, 1.5707963267948966, 2.356194490192345, 3.141592653589793]
radii = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

ax = plt.subplot(projection='polar')

# Plot angles and radii on ax
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use ax.plot(angles, radii) to plot the points on the polar axes.

4

Display the polar plot

Use plt.show() to display the polar plot.

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

angles = [0, 0.7853981633974483, 1.5707963267948966, 2.356194490192345, 3.141592653589793]
radii = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

ax = plt.subplot(projection='polar')
ax.plot(angles, radii)

# Show the plot
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Call plt.show() to display the figure window with the polar plot.