Excel Charts – Introduction Excel Charts
In Microsoft Excel, charts are used to make a graphical representation of any set of data. A
chart is a visual representation of data, in which the data is represented by symbols such
as bars in a bar chart or lines in a line chart.
Charts Group
You can find the Charts group under the INSERT tab on the Ribbon.
The Charts group on the Ribbon looks as follows-
The Charts group is formatted in such a way that-
Types of charts are displayed.
The subgroups are clubbed together.
It helps you find a chart suitable to your data with the button Recommended Charts.
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Excel Charts
Chart Tools
When you click on a chart, a new tab Chart Tools is displayed on the ribbon. There are two
tabs under CHART TOOLS-
DESIGN
FORMAT
Recommended Charts
The Recommended Charts command on the Insert tab helps you to create a chart that is
just right for your data.
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To use Recommended charts-
Step 1: Select the data.
Step 2: Click Recommended Charts.
A window displaying the charts that suit your data will be displayed.
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Excel Charts – Creating Charts Excel Charts
In this chapter, we will learn to create charts.
Creating Charts with Insert Chart
To create charts using the Insert Chart tab, follow the steps given below.
Step 1: Select the data.
Step 2: Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
Step 3: Click the Insert Column Chart on the Ribbon.
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The 2-D column, 3-D Column chart options are displayed. Further, More Column Charts…
option is also displayed.
Step 4: Move through the Column Chart options to see the previews.
Step 5: Click Clustered Column. The chart will be displayed in your worksheet.
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Step 6: Give a meaningful title to the chart by editing Chart Title.
Creating Charts with Recommended Charts
You can use the Recommended Charts option if-
You want to create a chart quickly.
You are not sure of the chart type that suits your data.
If the chart type you selected is not working with your data.
To use the option Recommended Charts, follow the steps given below-
Step 1: Select the data.
Step 2: Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
Step 3: Click Recommended Charts.
A window displaying the charts that suit your data will be displayed, under the tab
Recommended Charts.
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Step 4: Browse through the Recommended Charts.
Step 5: Click on a chart type to see the preview on the right side.
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Step 6: Select the chart type you like. Click OK. The chart will be displayed in your
worksheet.
If you do not see a chart you like, click the All Charts tab to see all the available chart
types and pick a chart.
Step 7: Give a meaningful title to the chart by editing Chart Title.
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Excel Charts
Creating Charts with Quick Analysis
Follow the steps given to create a chart with Quick Analysis.
Step 1: Select the data.
A Quick Analysis button appears at the bottom right of your selected data.
Step 2: Click the Quick Analysis icon.
The Quick Analysis toolbar appears with the options FORMATTING, CHARTS, TOTALS,
TABLES, SPARKLINES.
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Step 3: Click the CHARTS option.
Recommended Charts for your data will be displayed.
Step 4: Point the mouse over the Recommended Charts. Previews of the available
charts will be shown.
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Step 5: Click More.
More Recommended Charts will be displayed.
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Step 6: Select the type of chart you like, click OK. The chart will be displayed in your
worksheet.
Step 7: Give a meaningful title to the chart by editing Chart Title.
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Excel Chart – Types Excel Charts
Excel provides you different types of charts that suit your purpose. Based on the type of
data, you can create a chart. You can also change the chart type later.
Excel offers the following major chart types-
Column Chart
Line Chart
Pie Chart
Doughnut Chart
Bar Chart
Area Chart
XY (Scatter) Chart
Bubble Chart
Stock Chart
Surface Chart
Radar Chart
Combo Chart
Each of these chart types have sub-types. In this chapter, you will have an overview of
the different chart types and get to know the sub-types for each chart type.
Column Chart
A Column Chart typically displays the categories along the horizontal (category) axis and
values along the vertical (value) axis. To create a column chart, arrange the data in
columns or rows on the worksheet.
A column chart has the following sub-types-
Clustered Column.
Column Chart
Stacked Column.
15
100% Stacked Column.
3-D Clustered Column. 10
3-D Stacked Column.
5
3-D 100% Stacked Column.
3-D Column. 0
1 2 3 4
Series1 Series2
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Excel Charts
Line Chart
Line charts can show continuous data over time on an evenly scaled Axis. Therefore, they
are ideal for showing trends in data at equal intervals, such as months, quarters or years.
In a Line chart-
Category data is distributed evenly along the horizontal axis.
Value data is distributed evenly along the vertical axis.
To create a Line chart, arrange the data in columns or rows on the worksheet.
A Line chart has the following sub-types:
Line Chart
Line
15
Stacked Line
10
100% Stacked Line
5
Line with Markers
0
Stacked Line with Markers 1 2 3 4
100% Stacked Line with Markers
Series1 Series2
3-D Line
Pie Chart
Pie charts show the size of items in one data series, proportional to the sum of the items.
The data points in a pie chart are shown as a percentage of the whole pie. To create a Pie
Chart, arrange the data in one column or row on the worksheet.
A Pie Chart has the following sub-types- Pie Chart
Pie
3-D Pie
Pie of Pie
Bar of Pie
1 2 3 4
Doughnut Chart
A Doughnut chart shows the relationship of parts to a whole. It is similar to a Pie Chart
with the only difference that a Doughnut Chart can contain more than one data series,
whereas, a Pie Chart can contain only one data series.
A Doughnut Chart contains rings and each Doughnut Chart
ring representing one data series. To
create a Doughnut Chart, arrange the
data in columns or rows on a worksheet.
1 2
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Excel Charts
Bar Chart
Bar Charts illustrate comparisons among individual items. In a Bar Chart, the categories
are organized along the vertical axis and the values are organized along the horizontal
axis. To create a Bar Chart, arrange the data in columns or rows on the Worksheet.
A Bar Chart has the following sub-types- Bar Chart
Clustered Bar
4
Stacked Bar
3
100% Stacked Bar
2
3-D Clustered Bar
1
3-D Stacked Bar
3-D 100% Stacked Bar 0 5 10 15
Series2 Series1
Area Chart
Area Charts can be used to plot the change over time and draw attention to the total value
across a trend. By showing the sum of the plotted values, an area chart also shows the
relationship of parts to a whole. To create an Area Chart, arrange the data in columns or
rows on the worksheet.
An Area Chart has the following sub-types- Area Chart
15
Area
Stacked Area 10
100% Stacked Area
5
3-D Area
3-D Stacked Area 0
1 2 3 4
3-D 100% Stacked Area
Series1 Series2
XY (Scatter) Chart
XY (Scatter) charts are typically used for showing and comparing numeric values, like
scientific, statistical, and engineering data.
A Scatter chart has two Value Axes-
XY (Scatter) Chart
Horizontal (x) Value Axis
14
Vertical (y) Value Axis
12
It combines x and y values into single 10
data points and displays them in
8
irregular intervals, or clusters. To
create a Scatter chart, arrange the 6
data in columns and rows on the
4
worksheet.
2
Place the x values in one row or
column, and then enter the 0
corresponding y values in the adjacent 0 2 4 6 8 10
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rows or columns.
Consider using a Scatter chart when-
You want to change the scale of the horizontal axis.
You want to make that axis a logarithmic scale.
Values for horizontal axis are not evenly spaced.
There are many data points on the horizontal axis.
You want to adjust the independent axis scales of a scatter chart to reveal more
information about data that includes pairs or grouped sets of values.
You want to show similarities between large sets of data instead of differences
between data points.
You want to compare many data points regardless of the time.
o The more data that you include in a scatter chart, the better the
comparisons you can make.
A Scatter chart has the following sub-types-
Scatter
Scatter with Smooth Lines and Markers
Scatter with Smooth Lines
Scatter with Straight Lines and Markers
Scatter with Straight Lines
Bubble Chart
A Bubble chart is like a Scatter chart with an additional third column to specify the size of
the bubbles it shows to represent the data points in the data series.
A Bubble chart has the following sub-types-
Bubble Chart
Bubble
10
Bubble with 3-D effect
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Stock Chart
As the name implies, Stock charts can show fluctuations in stock prices. However, a Stock
chart can also be used to show fluctuations in other data, such as daily rainfall or annual
temperatures.
To create a Stock chart, arrange the data in columns or rows in a specific order on the
worksheet. For example, to create a simple high-low-close Stock chart, arrange your data
with High, Low, and Close entered as Column headings, in that order.
A Stock chart has the following sub-types-
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Stock Chart
High-Low-Close
15
Open-High-Low-Close
10
Volume-High-Low-Close
5
Volume-Open-High-Low-Close
0
1 2 3 4
Series1 Series2 Series3
Surface Chart
A Surface chart is useful when you want to find the optimum combinations between two
sets of data. As in a topographic map, colors and patterns indicate areas that are in the
same range of values.
To create a Surface chart-
Ensure that both the categories and the data series are numeric values.
Arrange the data in columns or rows on the worksheet.
A Surface chart has the following sub-types- Surface Chart
3-D Surface
15
Wireframe 3-D Surface
10
Contour 5 Series3
Wireframe Contour 0
1
2 Series1
3
4
0-5 5-10 10-15
Radar Chart
Radar charts compare the aggregate values of several data series. To create a Radar chart,
arrange the data in columns or rows on the worksheet.
A Radar chart has the following sub-types-
Radar Chart
Radar
Series1 Series2
Radar with Markers
1
Filled Radar
4 2
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Combo Chart
Combo charts combine two or more chart types to make the data easy to understand,
especially when the data is widely varied. It is shown with a secondary axis and is even
easier to read. To create a Combo chart, arrange the data in columns and rows on the
worksheet.
A Combo chart has the following sub-types- Combo Chart
Clustered Column – Line 14
12
Clustered Column – Line on Secondary
10
Axis
8
Stacked Area – Clustered Column 6
Custom Combination 4
2
0
1 2 3 4
Series1 Series2
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