Polar and Cartesian functions describe curves using two different ways of locating points in the plane. In the Cartesian system, every point is given by how far it moves horizontally (x) and vertically (y) from the origin. This setup works well for shapes that align with a grid, like lines, parabolas, and simple curves whose behavior can be tracked by slopes and intercepts. Because the axes stay fixed and perpendicular, patterns feel intuitive and algebraic relationships translate directly into