Category axis The chart element that displays descriptive group names or labels, such as city names or departments, to identify data. Category label Text that describes a collection of data points in a chart. Chart A visual representation of numerical data. Chart area A boundary that contains the entire chart and all of its elements, including the plot area, titles, legends, and labels. Chart element A component of a chart that helps complete or clarify the chart. Chart filter A setting that controls what data series are displayed or hidden in a chart. Chart sheet A sheet within a workbook that contains a single chart and no spreadsheet data. Chart style A collection of formatting that controls the color of the chart area, plot area, and data series. Chart title The label that describes the entire chart. The title is usually placed at the top of the chart area. Clustered column chart A type of chart that groups, or clusters, similar data into columns to compare values across columns. Column chart A type of chart that displays data vertically in columns to compare values across different categories. Combo chart A chart that combines two chart types, such as column and line, to plot different types of data, such as quantities and percentages. Click here to go to the top of the page Show
Lesson 22: Charts/en/excel2013/tables/content/ IntroductionIt can often be difficult to interpret Excel workbooks that contain a lot of data. Charts allow you to illustrate your workbook data graphically, which makes it easy to visualize comparisons and trends. Optional: Download our practice workbook. Understanding chartsExcel has several different types of charts, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your data. In order to use charts effectively, you'll need to understand how different charts are used. Click the arrows in the slideshow below to learn more about the types of charts in Excel.
In addition to chart types, you'll need to understand how to read a chart. Charts contain several different elements, or parts, that can help you interpret the data. Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different parts of a chart. LegendThe legend identifies which data series each color on the chart represents. In this example, the legend identifies the different salespeople in the chart. Chart TitleThe title should clearly describe what the chart is illustrating. Vertical AxisThe verticalaxis (also known as the y axis) is the vertical part of the chart. Here, the vertical axis measures the value of the columns, so it is also called the value axis. In this example, the measured value is each salesperson's net sales. Horizontal AxisThe horizontalaxis (also known as thex axis) is the horizontal part of the chart. Here, the horizontal axis identifies the categories in the chart. In this example, each sales quarter is placed in its own group. Data SeriesThe data series consists of the related data points in a chart. In this example, the blue columns represent net sales by Robert Johnson. We know his data is blue because of the legend on the right. Reading the data series, we can see that Robert was the top salesperson in quarters 1 and 3, while he was the second highest in quarters 2 and 4. To insert a chart:
If you're not sure which type of chart to use, the Recommended Charts command will suggest several different charts based on the source data. Chart layout and styleAfter inserting a chart, there are several things you may want to change about the way your data is displayed. It's easy to edit a chart's layout and style from the Design tab.
You can also use the chart formatting shortcut buttons to quickly add chart elements, change the chart style, and filter the chart data. Other chart optionsThere are many other ways to customize and organize your charts. For example, Excel allows you to rearrange a chart's data, change the chart type, and even move the chart to a different location in the workbook. To switch row and column data:Sometimes you may want to change the way charts group your data. For example, in the chart below, the Book Sales data are grouped by year, with columns for each genre. However, we could switch the rows and columns so the chart will group the data by genre, with columns for each year. In both cases, the chart contains the same data—it's just organized differently.
To change the chart type:If you find that your data isn't well suited to a certain chart, it's easy to switch to a new chart type. In our example, we'll change our chart from a Column chart to a Line chart.
To move a chart:Whenever you insert a new chart, it will appear as an object on the same worksheet that contains its source data. Alternatively, you can move the chart to a new worksheet to help keep your data organized.
Keeping charts up to dateBy default, when you add more data to your spreadsheet, the chart may not include the new data. To fix this, you can adjust the data range. Simply click the chart, and it will highlight the data range in your spreadsheet. You can then click
and drag the handle in the lower-right corner to change the data range. If you frequently add more data to your spreadsheet, it may become tedious to update the data range. Luckily, there is an easier way. Simply format your source data as a table, then create a chart based on that table. When you add more data below the table, it will automatically be included in both the table and the chart, keeping everything consistent and up to date. Watch the video below to learn how to use tables to keep charts up to date. Challenge!
/en/excel2013/sparklines/content/ What is a single value or piece of data from a data series?data marker. a single value or piece of data from a data series. data point. group of releated values that are in the same column or row and translate into the columns, lines, pie slices, and other markers. data series.
What type of chart is used for single series of data?Bars (or columns) are the best types of graphs for presenting a single data series.
Which of the following chart types displays comparisons among individual items or values of a specific period of time?Column charts are useful for showing data changes over a period of time or for illustrating comparisons among items.
Which of the following chart types shows a comparison of values or data changes over time?Line chart
Line charts show changes in value across continuous measurements, such as those made over time.
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