How to create a graph in Excel is very helpful to understand as it offers to create a graph from data in both the Windows and the Mac versions of Microsoft Excel.
Graph is a mathematical representation of a network to describe the relationship between points and lines. A graph contains points and lines between them. The position of the points and length of the lines do not matter. Every object in a graph is known as a node. The graph is a diagram representing the relationships between two or more things. A graph can be a pie chart or a bar graph.
Graphs are commonly used method for visually illustrating the relationships in the data. The aim of a graph is to represent data which are numerous as well as complicated to be easily described in an adequate manner through text and in less space. A graph should be used when the data shows prevailing trends or helps in revelation in relations between variables.
Types of Graphs
The most commonly used types of graphs are line graphs, bar graphs and histograms, pie charts, and Cartesian graphs. William Playfair (1759-1823) had actually invented the bar graph and the line graph. Although he wasn’t sure himself whether he did it or not, therefore, after he had published The Commercial and Political Atlas in 1786, he kept an eye out for other example, too.
Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. It has features for calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications which is utilized to create boxes/grids of text, numbers and formulas specifying calculations. It is considered extremely valuable for various business firms. these firms use excel to record expenditures and income, plan budgets, chart data and representing fiscal data and results.
Uses for Excel
At its most basic level, Excel is an excellent tool for data entry & storage, Collection & Verification of Business Data, Administrative & managerial duties, Accounting & budgeting, Data Analysis, Reporting, Visualizations and Forecasting. To get the highest benefits of Excel, you can join 4D. They offer a variety of MS Excel courses.
Steps : How to create a graph in Excel
- Open Microsoft Excel which is an icon resembling a green box with a white “X” on it.
- Click Blank workbook which is a white box in the upper-left side of the window.
- Type of graph you wish to make that you can create in Excel are three basic types of graph. Each of these works best for certain types of data:
- Bar
- Displays sets of data using vertical bars.
- Lists differences in data or comparing two similar sets of data.
- Line
- Displays sets of data using horizontal lines.
- Showing growth or decline in data over time.
- Pie
- Displays set of data as fractions of a whole.
- Showing a visual distribution of data.
- Add graph headers. The headers determining the labels for individual sections of data, must be placed in the top row of the spreadsheet. It must start with cell B1 and moving right from there.
- Add graph labels. The labels separating rows of data go in the A column to start in cell A2. Things like time are generally used as labels.
If you’re comparing budget with friend’s budget in a bar graph, you might label each column by week or month. You should add a label for each row of data.
- Enter graph data. Starting in the cell immediately below the first header and immediately to the right of first label, enter the numbers that you wish to use for the graph. Tap the Tab ? key once done typing in one cell to enter the data and jump one cell to the right while filling in multiple cells in a row.
- Select data. Click and drag the mouse from the top-left corner of the data group to the bottom-right corner, ensure to select the headers and labels as well.
- Click Insert tab. Placed near the top of the Excel window, open a toolbar below the Insert tab.
- Select graph type. Check “Charts” section of the Insert toolbar to press the visual representation of the type of graph that you wish to use. A drop-down menu with different options will appear.
- A bar graph looks like a series of vertical bars.
- A line graph looks like two or more squiggly lines.
- A pie graph look likes sectioned-off circle.
- Select graph format. In the selected graph’s drop-down menu, click a version of the graph that you wish to use in Excel document. The graph will be created in the document. You can also hover over a format to see a preview of what it will look like while using the data.
- Add a title to the graph.
- Windows – Double-click “Chart Title” text at the top of the chart, delete “Chart Title” text, replace it with a new one and press a blank space on the graph.
- Mac – Press Design tab, tap Add Chart Element, click Chart Title, tap a location, and type in the title of the graph.
- Save the document. To do so:
- Windows – Press File, tap Save As, double-click PC, tap a save location on the left side of the window, type the name of document into the “File name” text box, and tap Save.
- Mac – Press File, tap Save As…, enter the name of the document in the “Save As” field, tap a save location by tapping the “Where” box and pressing a folder, and tap Save.
Hope the above article and information therein, must have cleared all your doubts on how to create a graph in Excel.