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Excel Charts Theory
Excel Charts Theory
The old saying goes “A picture is worth 1000 words.” That’s why we use charts and graphs; to make the
information we’re trying to present easier to understand. This is the first of three handouts on using
charts and graphs in Excel.
Pie
A pie chart is used to show the percentage or proportion of the whole
group. Excel gives you six choices for types of pie charts, but unless you
really know what you’re doing, it’s wise to stick with only the two that are
highlighted on the right.
Line/XY
A standard line chart is used to show change over time, and is used when
your time sequences are represented by words (like Week 1, Week 2,
and Week 3 or January, February, and March).
Excel gives you seven line chart choices, but unless you really know
what you’re doing, you should stick with just the three that are
highlighted on the right.
In a line chart, the time labels should always be on the X axis.
The XY chart is the kind of line chart you use when your time sequences
are represented by numbers (like 1920, 1930, and 1940). It’s also used if
you have a progression where your X value is the same as your label and
the Y value is calculated based on the X value.
Excel gives you five XY chart choices, and you’re free to use all of
them.
As with the line chart, the time (or X) labels should always be on the
X axis.
Column/Bar
A standard column chart is what we used to call a bar chart when I was a
kid. It’s used for general comparisons and sometimes for change over
time for a larger group (when using a line or XY chart would look too
busy).
Excel gives you seven choices for column charts, but the ones you
should probably stick with are the two that are highlighted on the right.
The bar chart is really just a column chart that’s been rotated by 90°.
Excel gives you six choices for bar charts, but your best bets are the
two that are highlighted on the right.
The next handout talks about setting up your data and using the Chart Wizard.
Axis
Unless you’re doing some pretty fancy stuff, and really know what you’re doing, you probably won’t need
to bother with this one. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever used it myself.
Gridlines
This lets you add or remove major or minor gridlines along any of the axes of your chart. Sometimes a
chart is a lot easier to read when you’ve got some major gridlines. It’s also often a lot harder to read
when you’ve got too many minor ones.
Legend
I’m hoping that you already know that when it comes to charts the legend is the key. This option lets
you decide where to put the legend, and even whether or not you really want one at all. This is
important because in some cases, where the chart is clearly labeled in other ways, you don’t really need
a legend.
Data Labels
This part lets you decide how you want to label your data, or if you even want to at all. Take a careful
look at all the options here.
Data Tables
Again, this is something you’re not going to need unless you’re doing some pretty fancy stuff, and that
I’ve never used myself.
Oops!
OK, so you’ve gone through all the choices and made your chart, and now
you’ve discovered that you’ve messed up in a few places. No problem.
There’s no need to delete the whole thing and start over. Excel lets you
do a little backtracking thanks to the right mouse button (Ctrl-Click if
you’re on a one-button mouse Mac).
Right-clicking on the background area (usually the white space) of
your chart brings up the shortcut menu shown on the right. Use the
choices here to go back and fix any mistakes you’ve made in the four
steps of creation or to change your mind about what you’ve done.
Next
Fine-tuning your chart.
Feel free to play around with these tools so that you start to feel comfortable with them.