Objective 6. Chart Data

A chart is a graphic representation of data in a worksheet. Data presented as a chart is usually easier to understand than a table of numbers. When using a chart to communicate an idea to other people, choose a chart title and chart labels that make your point clearly.

Activity 1.12. Charting Data

The Chart Wizard guides you step by step through the process of displaying data as a chart. In this activity, you will chart the total tableware purchases at the Dallas restaurant for each month. Then you will compare the monthly purchases and identify any significant differences.

1.	Select the range B2:G2. Hold down and then select the range B8:G8. Alternatively, type b2:g2,b8:g8 in the Name Box. The first selected range will form the category labels, the labels that display along the bottom of the chart to identify the category of data. The second selected range will provide the data that will display in your chart as columns of varying height.
2.	On the Standard toolbar, click the Chart Wizard button . Alternatively, from the Insert menu, click Chart. Compare your screen with Figure 1.53.   Figure 1.53. (This item is displayed on page 632 in the print version) The Chart Wizard opens to the first step in the wizard with the Standard Types tab selected. In the first step of the wizard, select the type of chart you want to use. On the left side of the Chart Wizard dialog box, you can select from among fourteen standard chart typespredefined chart designsand then, on the right side, you can select the chart sub-type, variations of the selected standard chart type. The default chart is the Clustered Column chart. A description of the selected chart displays on the lower right side of the dialog box.
3.	Be sure the Standard Types tab is selected. Under Chart type, be sure Column is selected and then, under Chart sub-type, in the second row, click the first sub-type. The chart sub-type is selected, and the description changes to Clustered column with a 3-D visual effect.
4.	In the lower right corner of the dialog box, click the Next button, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.54.   Figure 1.54. In Step 2 of the Chart Wizard you can see a preview of the data as it will display in the chart.
5.	Click the Next button to accept the settings in Step 2 and move to Step 3 in the Chart Wizard. Click the Titles tab. In Step 3 of the Chart Wizard, you can add a title to the chart or to the Category (X) axisthe horizontal axisor to the Value (Z) axisthe vertical axis along the left side of the chart. This shows the range of numbers needed to display the data points, the numeric values of the selected worksheet figures.   NoteValue (Y) Axis Typically, the value axis in a chart is known as the Y-axis. In this example, the value axis has been changed by the Chart Wizard to the Z-axis because a 3-D chart sub-type was selected. If a two-dimensional chart is used, such as the default clustered column chart, the label for the vertical axis in the wizard would be Value (Y) axis.
6.	Click in the Chart title box, type Tableware - Dallas and then compare your screen with Figure 1.55.   Figure 1.55. After a moment, the title displays in the chart preview area, and the chart area is resized. Adjustments to the chart can also be made after the chart is complete.
7.	Click the Legend tab, and then click to clearremove the checkmark fromthe Show legend check box. Compare your screen with Figure 1.56.   Figure 1.56. (This item is displayed on page 635 in the print version) The legend is removed. If you chart more than one range of data, Excel places the columns or lines next to each other on the chart and assigns a different color to each group; a legend is used to explain the color code. In this chart, there is only one set of columns and they are all the same color, so a legend is not necessary.
8.	Click Next. Step 4 of the Chart Wizard displays. Here you determine the location of the chart. You can place the chart on a separate chart sheet in which the chart fills the entire page or accept the default to display the chart as an object within the worksheet, which is called an embedded chart.
9.	Click the Finish button, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.57. Notice the dollar values on the Value axis increase in increments of one thousand dollars. The size and appearance of your chart may be different depending on your screen resolution.   Figure 1.57. (This item is displayed on page 636 in the print version) The Chart Wizard dialog box closes, and the chart displays on the current sheet. Sizing handles display around the perimeter of the selected chart object. Sizing handles are small squares or circles that indicate an object is selected and that it can be resized or moved.
10.	Point to a white space just inside the edge of the chart to display the pointer and then drag the chart until the upper left corner of the chart is positioned in the middle of cell A10. Compare your screen with Figure 1.58.   Figure 1.58. A dotted outline displays to show the position of the chart as you move it. As you drag, the pointer changes to a move pointer to indicate that the selected object is being moved.
11.	Scroll as necessary to bring row 29 into view on your screen. Point to the sizing handle in the lower right corner of the chart to display the diagonal resize pointer , and then drag until the lower right corner of the chart is positioned in the middle of cell G29. Compare your screen with Figure 1.59. Notice the labels on the Value axis are in increments of 500 dollars.   Figure 1.59. When you use the corner sizing handles to resize an object, the proportional dimensionsthe relative height and widthare retained. When you embed a chart in this manner, visually centering it below the data will achieve a more attractive result. Increments of the labels on the value axis are adjusted to fit the size of the chart.
12.	Scroll up as necessary, and then select the range A1:G29. On the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom button arrow , and then click Selection. The Zooman option to make the page view larger or smalleris changed so that you can see the entire selection on the screen.
13.	Select the range B4:G7. On the Formatting toolbar, click the Decrease Decimal button twice. The numbers formatted with the Comma Style button are rounded to whole numbers.
14.	Select the nonadjacent range B3:G3,B8:G8. On the Formatting toolbar, click the Decrease Decimal button twice. Notice that the display of the numbers in the selected cells are all rounded to the nearest whole number and the chart labels on the left side display in whole numbers.   The chart and the data in the cells are interactive and the chart is updated when you change the data. In many situations, decision makers do not want overly detailed information; rounding the display of numbers results in an uncluttered worksheet. If the reader of an electronic worksheet wants more detail, he or she can click the cell to see the underlying number or formula in the Formula Bar.
15.	On the Standard toolbar, click the Save button .

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Objective 7 Annotate a Chart