Microsoft Excel 2007 The L Line The Express Line to Learning L Line © Wiley Publishing. 2007. All Rights Reserved.

5 Charting: Basic Chart Types and When To Use Them Stations Along the Way Getting to know Excel charts Charting data with columns and bars Converting column charts to bar charts Categorizing data with pie charts Showing progression with line charts Finding trends with scatter plot charts Contrasting data with area charts Exploring other chart types

Why Use Excel Charts? Charts display data visually, making it easier to see data trends and patterns They’re useful when sharing data with others, as in a presentation Different chart styles allow you to choose the appropriate chart type for your data Chart elements can be customized

Creating Column and Bar Charts Column charts display vertical bars Bar charts display horizontal bars Both chart types help you make data comparisons for multiple data series 3-D bar and column charts add depth Bars shaped as cylinders, cones, and pyramids are also available

Creating Pie Charts Pie charts show the relationship of parts to a whole, using one data series Each data point appears as a slice Data labels such as percentages are often added to the pie slices Use an exploded pie chart to highlight each area of the pie Drag a slice outwards to explode individual slices of the pie chart

Creating Line Charts Line charts show trends over time Use primary and secondary axes if data series use different value ranges Each line displays in a different color You can add markers of varying styles to the data points of the lines

Creating Scatter Charts Use scatter charts when you need to plot numerous data points Scatter charts typically plot numeric values on both axes Each series of points appears with a different color and/or symbol You can add a trendline to help predict future values

Creating Area Charts Area charts overlap data for each series to show relationships They can show how data elements add up to make a whole Other types of area charts include stacked, 100%, and 3-D You can apply 3-D Rotation options

Other Chart Types Stock chart: Shows how stock prices perform over a period of time Surface chart: Shows 2-D or 3-D trends Doughnut chart: Displays multiple series (rings) in a pie chart Bubble chart: A 3-D scatter chart Radar chart: Compares aggregate values of multiple data series

Discussion Questions What is an Excel chart? Which three chart types are the most common? What is the difference between a bar chart and a column chart? Can you plot more than one series in a pie chart?

Discussion Questions (cont.) What is the difference between a line chart and a scatter plot with a trendline? What is the difference between a line chart and an area chart?