Charts in MS Excel 2013
What Is a Chart in MS Excel 2013?
A chart in Microsoft Excel 2013 is a graphical representation of data using bars, columns, lines, points, or slices. Charts help users understand and compare large amounts of data quickly without having to read every value in a worksheet.
Charts are useful for presenting numerical information in a visual format. For example, a sales report can be represented using a column chart, while a company's monthly growth can be shown using a line chart.
Excel 2013 provides several types of charts. Users can select a suitable chart according to the type of data and the information they want to present.
Types of Charts in MS Excel 2013
Microsoft Excel 2013 supports the following major chart types:
Column Chart
Bar Chart
Pie Chart
Line Chart
Area Chart
XY (Scatter) Chart and Bubble Chart
Surface Chart
Stock Chart
Radar Chart
Combo Chart
Each chart type is designed for a different purpose. Let us understand these charts and learn how to create them in Excel 2013.
How to Create a Chart in MS Excel 2013
Follow these steps to create a chart:
Open Microsoft Excel 2013.
Enter your data into a worksheet, including suitable headings.
Select the complete data range you want to represent in the chart.
Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
Choose a suitable chart type from the Charts group.
Select the chart subtype you want to use.
Excel will insert the chart into the current worksheet.
Use the Chart Tools – Design and Format tabs to customize the chart's appearance and layout.
Example data:
| Month | Sales |
|---|---|
| January | 12000 |
| February | 15000 |
| March | 18000 |
| April | 14000 |
| May | 22000 |
Select this data range, including the headings, and insert a chart to compare monthly sales.
1. Column Chart
A Column Chart represents data using vertical rectangular bars. The height of each column corresponds to its value.
Column charts are useful for comparing values across different categories, such as monthly sales, student marks, or yearly expenses.
Steps to create a Column Chart:
Enter the data into the worksheet.
Select the data range, including the headings.
Click the Insert tab.
In the Charts group, select Insert Column or Bar Chart.
Choose a suitable option under 2-D Column or 3-D Column.
Excel will display the column chart on the worksheet.
Example: A column chart can compare the sales of a shop across five different months.
2. Bar Chart
A Bar Chart displays data using horizontal rectangular bars. It is useful when comparing several categories or when category names are long.
Steps to create a Bar Chart:
Select the required data range.
Click the Insert tab.
Select Insert Column or Bar Chart.
Choose a chart type under 2-D Bar or 3-D Bar.
Excel will insert the bar chart into the worksheet.
Example: A bar chart can compare the marks obtained by students in a class.
Difference between Column and Bar Charts: A column chart displays bars vertically, whereas a bar chart displays bars horizontally.
3. Pie Chart
A Pie Chart represents data as slices of a circle. Each slice shows a category's proportion of the total.
Pie charts are useful for displaying percentages or proportions when the data represents parts of a whole.
Steps to create a Pie Chart:
Enter category names and their corresponding values.
Select the data range.
Click the Insert tab.
Select Insert Pie or Doughnut Chart.
Choose a suitable option, such as 2-D Pie or 3-D Pie.
The pie chart will appear on the worksheet.
Example: A pie chart can show how a monthly budget is divided among food, rent, travel, and savings.
Note: A pie chart is generally most effective when the data contains a small number of categories and the values are non-negative.
4. Line Chart
A Line Chart displays data points connected by lines. It is commonly used to show changes and trends over time.
Steps to create a Line Chart:
Select the data range, including headings.
Click the Insert tab.
Select Insert Line or Area Chart.
Choose a suitable line chart style.
Excel will insert the chart into the worksheet.
Example: A line chart can show how a company's sales increase or decrease from January to December.
5. Area Chart
An Area Chart displays data using lines with the area below them filled with color. It helps show changes in values over time and can emphasize the magnitude of those changes.
Steps to create an Area Chart:
Select the required data range.
Click the Insert tab.
Select Insert Line or Area Chart.
Choose an option under 2-D Area or 3-D Area.
Excel will create the area chart.
Example: An area chart can show the growth of a company's revenue over several months.
6. XY (Scatter) Chart and Bubble Chart
XY (Scatter) Chart
An XY (Scatter) Chart displays pairs of numerical values as points on horizontal and vertical axes. It is useful for examining relationships between two numerical variables.
Steps to create a Scatter Chart:
Enter the X values in one column and the corresponding Y values in another column.
Select both columns of numerical data.
Click the Insert tab.
Select Insert Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart.
Choose a suitable scatter chart option.
Example: A scatter chart can help examine the relationship between hours studied and examination marks.
Bubble Chart
A Bubble Chart is similar to a scatter chart, but it uses the size of each bubble to represent a third numerical value.
Example: A bubble chart could compare products by price and sales while using bubble size to represent profit.
7. Surface Chart
A Surface Chart is used to display relationships among three sets of numerical values. It creates a surface that helps users identify combinations of values that produce particular results.
Steps to create a Surface Chart:
Arrange your data in a suitable grid with row and column headings.
Select the data range.
Click the Insert tab.
Open the chart insertion options.
Choose Surface from the available chart types.
Select the required 3-D Surface or other available surface style.
Example: A surface chart can be used to compare results across different combinations of temperature and pressure.
8. Stock Chart
A Stock Chart is designed to display financial data, such as stock prices. Depending on the chart type, it can show information such as opening price, highest price, lowest price, closing price, and trading volume.
Steps to create a Stock Chart:
Arrange the financial data in the order required by the selected stock chart type.
Include the appropriate headings and values.
Select the data range.
Click the Insert tab.
Choose the appropriate stock chart from the chart options.
Excel will create the chart using the selected data.
Example: A stock chart can display the daily high, low, open, and closing prices of a company's shares.
Note: Stock charts require data arranged in the appropriate format. The required columns depend on the stock chart subtype selected.
9. Radar Chart
A Radar Chart displays values along multiple axes that start from a common center. The values form a shape that makes it easier to compare several characteristics across categories.
Steps to create a Radar Chart:
Enter category names and their corresponding numerical values.
Select the data range.
Click the Insert tab.
Open the chart insertion options.
Select Radar from the available chart types.
Choose the required radar chart style.
Example: A radar chart can compare a student's performance in mathematics, science, English, computer studies, and history.
10. Combo Chart
A Combo Chart combines two different chart types in one chart. For example, a column chart can display sales while a line chart displays profit percentage.
Combo charts are useful when comparing related data series that have different scales or need different visual representations.
Steps to create a Combo Chart:
Select the data range containing the required data series.
Click the Insert tab.
Open the chart insertion options and choose Combo or Insert Combo Chart, where available.
Select a chart type for each data series.
If appropriate, enable a Secondary Axis for a series that uses a substantially different scale.
Click OK to insert the chart.
Example: A combo chart can display monthly sales as columns and profit percentage as a line.
How to Edit and Format a Chart in Excel 2013
After inserting a chart, you can customize it to make the information easier to understand.
Change the Chart Title
Click the chart.
Select the chart title.
Type a meaningful title, such as Monthly Sales Report.
If the title is not visible, use the chart elements options to add it.
Add Data Labels
Data labels display values directly on the chart.
Select the chart.
Open the chart elements options.
Enable Data Labels.
Choose a suitable label position if available.
Change the Chart Style
Click the chart.
Open Chart Tools – Design.
Select a style from the Chart Styles group.
Change the Chart Type
Select the chart.
Open Chart Tools – Design.
Click Change Chart Type.
Select the new chart type.
Click OK.
Move or Resize a Chart
To move a chart, click its outer border and drag it to a new location. To resize it, drag one of the sizing handles around the chart.
Advantages of Charts in MS Excel 2013
The main advantages of charts are:
Easy understanding: Charts make numerical information easier to understand.
Quick comparison: They help compare values across categories.
Trend analysis: Line and area charts can reveal changes over time.
Better presentation: Charts make reports and presentations more informative.
Time-saving: Readers can often identify important patterns without examining every value.
Flexible formatting: Users can change chart types, titles, labels, colors, and layouts.
Conclusion
Charts in MS Excel 2013 are useful tools for presenting worksheet data in a graphical format. Excel provides different chart types, including Column, Bar, Pie, Line, Area, Scatter, Bubble, Surface, Stock, Radar, and Combo charts.
Selecting the appropriate chart makes data easier to understand, compare, and present. After inserting a chart, you can customize its title, labels, style, and layout to create a clear and informative report.
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