06 Charts

About charts

Charts are visually appealing and make it easy for users to see comparisons, patterns, and trends in numerical data. They can also be published on the Web. Imagine that a large set of sales figures need to be presented and analysed. Rather than having to analyze several numbers in a large table, a chart could show whether sales are falling or rising over quarterly periods, or how the actual sales compare to the projected sales:

Chart sheets and embedded charts

You can create a chart on its own chart sheet or as an embedded chart. Whether it is embedded or not, a chart is linked to the source data on a worksheet so that it can be updated when you update the worksheet data.

Chart sheets

A chart sheet is a sheet in a workbook that contains only a chart and has its own name. A chart sheet is beneficial when you want to view a chart separately from worksheet data. Use a chart sheet when you want to view or edit large or complex charts separately from the worksheet data or when you want to preserve screen space as you work on the worksheet.

Embedded charts

An embedded chart is considered a graphic object and is saved as part of the worksheet on which it is created. The illustration above shows an embedded chart next to the data used to create it. Use embedded charts when you want to display or print one or more charts with your worksheet data.

Creating a chart

You can create a chart on its own worksheet or as an embedded object on a worksheet by using the Chart Wizard or the Chart toolbar.

To create a chart:

1. Enter the data for the chart on the worksheet.
2. Select the data and use the Chart Wizard to step through the process of choosing the chart type and the various chart options.
   
   Or
   
   Use the Chart toolbar to create a basic chart that you can format later.

Arranging Data

Data can be entered on to an Excel worksheet in different ways depending on the type of chart to be used to illustrate it. The data must be arranged appropriately for the type of chart to be created from it.

Column, Bar, Line, Area, Surface and Radar charts

For these type of charts data can be arranged in columns:

or, in rows:

Pie charts and Doughnut charts

Regular pie charts (left above) and doughnut charts (right above) have only one series of data, so you should use only one column of data. You can also use one column of labels for the data, like this:

or use one row of data, and, if you like, one row of labels:

Stacked pie charts and stacked doughnut charts can have more than one series of data, so you can use more than one column of data, like this:

or more than one row of data, like this:

For an Scatter Chart or Bubble chart

Data can be presented in a scatter chart:

or a bubble chart:

Arrange the data in columns, with x values in the first column and corresponding y values and/or bubble size values in adjacent columns, like this:

Using the Chart Wizard

To create a chart using the Chart Wizard:

1. Select the data to be presented in chart form.
2. Click on the Chart Wizard button:
3. In step 1 specify the chart type.
4. In step 2 specify the chart source.
5. In step 3 specify the chart options.
6. In step 4 specify the chart location.
7. Click on Finish and the chart will be created.

The Chart Wizard is explained in further detail in the handout Using the Chart Wizard.

Using the Chart toolbar

To create a chart using the Chart toolbar:

1. Ensure the Chart toolbar is visible on the screen:
   
   If it is not, click on View in the menu bar, hover over Toolbars then click on Charts.
2. Select the data to be presented in chart form.
3. Click on the triangle to the right of the Chart Type button (shown above) on the Chart toolbar.
   A menu of chart types will appear:
   
4. Click on a chart type and the chart will be created on the worksheet.

The Chart toolbar is explained in further detail in the handout Using the Chart toolbar.

Exercises

For exercises to practice the above click here.

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