Microsoft Excel

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Office 2003 Training

How to create a chart

Course contents • Overview: Telling the story behind the data • Lesson 1: Create a basic chart • Lesson 2: Tell the wizard what you want Each lesson includes a list of suggested tasks and a set of test questions.

How to create a chart

Overview: Telling the story behind the data A chart gets your point across—fast. With a chart, you turn worksheet data into a picture, where you can make a comparison or a trend visible at a glance. This course takes you through the basics of how to create charts in Excel.

How to create a chart

Course goals • Create a chart using the Chart Wizard. • Make selections in the Chart Wizard. • Understand basic chart terminology. How to create a chart

Lesson 1

Create a basic chart

Create a basic chart Charts transform data into pictures.

This lesson covers how to make a quick and basic no-frills chart in about ten seconds. Then you'll see how the text and numbers from a worksheet become the contents of a chart, and you'll learn a few other chart basics before the practice session at the end of the lesson.

How to create a chart

Meet the wizard The Chart Wizard Suppose you're looking at a worksheet that shows how many cases of Sir Rodney's Marmalade were sold by each of three salespeople in each of three months. How would you create a chart to show how the salespeople compare against each other every month? How to create a chart

Meet the wizard The Chart Wizard 1. Select the data that you want to chart, as well as the column and row labels.

2. Click the Chart Wizard on the toolbar to open the Chart Wizard.

button 3. When the wizard opens, the Column chart type is selected by default.

4. Click the Finish button at the bottom of the wizard. How to create a chart

How worksheet data appears in the chart Worksheet row data is transformed into columns.

Each row of salesperson data has been given a colour in this chart. The chart legend, which was created from the row titles in the worksheet, tells which colour represents the data for each salesperson.

How to create a chart

How worksheet data appears in the chart Worksheet row data is transformed into columns.

Each chart column reaches a height proportional to the value in the cell that it represents. You can see at once how the salespeople stack up against each other as well as month by month.

On the left side of the chart, Excel has created a scale of numbers by which you can interpret the column heights.

How to create a chart

Update and place charts The wizard placed this chart as an object on the worksheet along with the data, as shown in the picture. When a chart is an object, it can be moved and resized. It can also be printed right along with the source data.

A chart on the same worksheet as the data How to create a chart

Suggestions for practice 1. Create a chart.

2. Update chart data.

3. Move a chart.

4. Resize a chart.

5. Look at other chart types.

6. Delete a chart.

Online practice (requires Excel 2003) How to create a chart

Test 1, question 1

What is the most important thing about a chart? (Pick one answer.)

1. That it makes your point clearly. 2. That it has a lot of colours. 3. That it's the most sophisticated chart type. How to create a chart

Test 1, question 1: Answer That it makes your point clearly.

Making a chart that doesn't get your point across is, well, pointless.

How to create a chart

Test 1, question 2

A chart placed on the worksheet can be printed along with the worksheet data. (Pick one answer.)

1. True.

2. False.

How to create a chart

Test 1, question 2: Answer True.

It can also be moved and resized.

How to create a chart

Test 1, question 3

What must you do to refresh a chart when you revise the worksheet data it displays? (Pick one answer.)

1. Press SHIFT+CTRL. 2. Nothing. 3. Press F6. How to create a chart

Test 1, question 3: Answer Nothing.

When you revise a value in the worksheet, the chart is automatically refreshed. Just sit back and relax.

How to create a chart

Test 1, question 4

A chart legend provides the data that appears in row or column titles. (Pick one answer.)

1. True.

2. False.

How to create a chart

Test 1, question 4: Answer False.

The row or column titles provide the text for the legend, showing which chart colours signify which row or column.

How to create a chart

Lesson 2

Tell the wizard what you want

Tell the wizard what you want Choose how the Chart Wizard compares your data.

In this lesson you'll learn about an important choice that you can make in the Chart Wizard. You choose whether your chart compares salespeople to each other, month after month—or whether it compares months to each other, salesperson by salesperson. The picture shows both ways.

How to create a chart

Decide what to chart Suppose you wanted to compare salespeople, not to each other, but to themselves, so that you can see their performance over time. Once again, you’d select the Sir Rodney's Marmalade data, and open the Chart Wizard by clicking the Chart Wizard button .

How to create a chart

Decide what to chart But this time you’d click the Next button instead of clicking Finish.

That click will display the Data Range tab as Step 2 of the Chart Wizard.

On the Data Range tab you can change your chart structure.

How to create a chart

Decide what to chart An example of different structures: The chart from the first lesson (shown on the left, in the picture) compares the salespeople to each other, month after month. To make this comparison, Excel grouped worksheet columns and compared worksheet rows.

How to create a chart

Decide what to chart If Excel grouped by rows and compared by columns, the chart would say something completely different. It would show how each salesperson did, better or worse, month by month, as shown on the right of the picture.

You can choose which comparison to make by selecting either Rows or Columns in the Series in option.

How to create a chart

Decide what to chart On the Series tab, you can delete or add a data series for the chart. For example, you might decide to chart only two of the salespeople instead of all three. How to create a chart

Add titles Enter chart and axis titles in the Chart Wizard.

It's a good idea to add descriptive titles to your chart so that readers don't have to guess what the chart's about. You can add a title for the chart by typing in the Chart title box, for example: Sir Rodney's Marmalade.

How to create a chart

Add titles Enter chart and axis titles in the Chart Wizard.

Next is a title box for the Category (X) axis. This is Excel's term for the categories at the bottom of the chart (January and so on). You could call this axis First Quarter Sales.

How to create a chart

Add titles Enter chart and axis titles in the Chart Wizard.

Next is a title box for the Value (Y) axis. In this chart, it's the scale of numbers that show how many cases the salespeople sold.

You could call this axis Cases Sold.

How to create a chart

Even more tabs and options There are more tabs in the Chart Wizard. Each tab includes a preview so that you can see what your chart looks like if you change any of your choices. Various chart types offer different sets of options. 1. Gridlines 2. Legend 3. Data table How to create a chart

Even more tabs and options 1. Gridlines 2. Legend 3. Data table For a clustered column chart, the tabs are: • Axes • Gridlines • Legends • Data Labels • Data Table • Chart Location How to create a chart

Suggestions for practice 1. Change a chart by changing what's charted: • Change the values (the data series) that are charted.

2. Explore options in the wizard: • Titles, axes, and data labels; gridlines; legend; data labels again; data table.

3. Make a pie chart.

Online practice (requires Excel 2003) How to create a chart

Test 2, question 1

What is a data series? (Pick one answer.)

1. It's the values that are charted. 2. It's the headings under which the values are organized. 3. It's the key that shows what the values on the chart are. How to create a chart

Test 2, question 1: Answer It's the values that are charted.

You choose what your chart says by charting the values from either the rows or the columns of the worksheet.

How to create a chart

Test 2, question 2

Which of these can you do on the Data Range tab in the Chart Wizard? (Pick one answer.)

1. Delete a data series. 2. Change the data series that is charted. 3. Label a data series. How to create a chart

Test 2, question 2: Answer Change the data series that is charted.

This is where you can change what your chart says.

How to create a chart

Test 2, question 3

The Category (X) axis is the scale of numbers on the chart. (Pick one answer.)

1. True.

2. False.

How to create a chart

Test 2, question 3: Answer False.

It's the Value (Y) axis that shows the scale of numbers to indicate the magnitude of values.

How to create a chart

Quick Reference Card For a summary of the tasks covered in this course, view the Quick Reference Card . How to create a chart