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Creating a chart in Excel is easy. Looking at a graph helps us analyze various metrics just by glancing at it.
The main steps in creating an Excel chart are:
The first step when creating an Excel chart is to select the data you want to use in the diagram or graph.
Charts can compare two or more sets of data from your Excel spreadsheet, depending on the information you want to communicate within the chart.
Once you've identified your data points, you can select the data to include in your chart.
Use your cursor to highlight the cells that contain the data you want to include in the chart. The selected cells will be highlighted with a green border.
Once you have selected your data, you can move on to the next step and select your chart type.
Excel offers a wide variety of chart types to use to display information.
You can communicate how you present your data differently, depending on the type of chart you use.
Once you've selected your data, click the Insert tab, then click the Recommended Charts button in the Charts group on the Ribbon. You will see a variety of chart types to choose from. Click OK and the chart will appear in your workbook.
There are also links to the most popular chart types in the Charts group on the Ribbon. You can also use these buttons to change the chart type at any time.
You can easily switch to a different chart type at any time:
If you want to display animals (instead of months) on the horizontal axis, perform the following steps.
Obtaining the following result
To move the legend to the right side of the chart, perform the following steps.
Result:
You can use data labels to focus your readers' attention on a single data series or data point.
Result:
Microsoft Excel currently offers 17 different chart types available for use.
Each chart type has a specific look and purpose.
A clustered column chart is used to display a series of two or more data sets in vertical clustered columns. The vertical columns are grouped together because each dataset shares the same axis labels. Clustered columns are useful for directly comparing data sets.
A line chart is used to display data trends over time, connecting data points via straight lines. Line charts can compare data over time for one or more groups and can be used to measure changes over long or short periods of time.
A pie chart, or pie charts, is used to display information as a percentage of the whole. The entire pie represents 100% of the value you are measuring, and the data points are a piece or percentage of that pie. Pie charts are useful for visualizing the contribution of each data point to the entire dataset.
A clustered bar chart, or bar chart, is used to display a series of two or more data sets in horizontal grouped bars. The horizontal bars are grouped together because each dataset shares the same axis labels. Clustered bars are useful for directly comparing data sets.
An area chart, or area chart, is a line graph with the area filled under each line with a color code for each data set.
A scatter plot, or scatter plot, is used to display two or more sets of data to look for correlation and trends between sets of data values. Scatter plots are useful for identifying trends in data sets and establishing the strength of correlation between values in those data sets.
A filled map chart is used to display high-level chart data within a map. Filled maps are useful for visually displaying datasets based on geographic location. This type of map currently has significant limitations on the type of information it can display.
A stock chart, or stock chart, is used to display the price movement of a stock over time. Some of the values that can be used in these charts are Opening Price, Closing Price, High, Low and Volume. Stock charts are useful for viewing stock price trends and volatility over time.
A surface chart, or surface chart, is used to display a series of two or more data sets in vertical surfaces. Vertical surfaces are grouped together, as each dataset shares the same axis labels. Surfaces are useful for directly comparing data sets.
A radar chart (also known as a spider chart) is used to plot one or more groups of values across multiple common variables. They are useful when you cannot directly compare variables and are especially useful for viewing performance analysis or survey data.
The Treemap chart is a type of data visualization that provides a hierarchical view of your data, making it easier to spot patterns. On a treemap, each element or branch is represented by a rectangular shape, the smaller rectangles representing subgroups or subbranches.
SunburstA graph Sunburst is a type of data visualization that provides a hierarchical view of data, making it easier to spot patterns. On Sunburst, each category is presented in a circular manner. Each ring represents a level in the hierarchy, where the highest level corresponds to the innermost ring. The outer rings track the subcategories.
A histogram is a popular analysis tool used in the business world. Similar in appearance to a bar chart, the histogram compresses data for easier interpretation by grouping points into ranges or bins.
A Box and Whisker chart is a statistical chart that graphs numerical data across their statistical quartiles (minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum).
A waterfall chart, sometimes called a bridge chart, shows subtotals of values added to or subtracted from the initial value. Examples include net income or the value of a stock portfolio over time.
A funnel chart is part of Excel's family of hierarchical charts. Funnel charts are often used in business or sales operations to show values from one stage to the next. Funnel charts require a category and a value. Best practices suggest a minimum of three steps.
A combo chart uses two different types of Excel charts in one chart. They are used to display two different datasets on the same topic.
Ercole Palmeri
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