How to make plots in
Minitab
Prof. Eric A. Suess
Graphs for one variable
• Pie Chart
• Bar Graph
• Bar Graph – Percentages
• Time Series Plot
• Area Graph
• Histogram – Frequency
• Histogram – Relative Frequency
• Dotplot
• Stem-and-Leaf Plot
• Boxplot
Pie Chart
• Using the data from Exercise 3.1 ex3-1.mtw
• First add the column names Program and Expenditures to the
spreadsheet.
• Graph > Pie Chart
• Click on second option, Chart values from table
• Categorical variable: Program
• Summary variables: Expenditures
Pie Chart
Pie Chart of Program
other
Category
Nat.Def.
SS
Med&Med
NatDebt
SocialAid
other
Nat.Def.
SocialAid
SS
NatDebt
Med&Med
Bar Graph
• Using the data from Exercise 3.1 ex3-1.mtw
• First add the column names Program and Expenditures to the
spreadsheet.
• Graph > Bar Chart
• Change the option to Values from a table
• Graph variables: Expenditures
• Categorical variable: Program
Bar Graph
Chart of Expenditures
600
Expenditures
500
400
300
200
100
0
Nat.Def.
SS
Med&Med
NatDebt
Program
SocialAid
Other
Bar Graph - Percentages
• To change the Bar Graph to show percentages.
• Change the Chart Options
• Under Percent and Accumulate, click Show Y as Percent
Bar Graph - Percentages
Chart of Expenditures
Percent of Expenditures
20
15
10
5
0
Nat.Def.
SS
Med&Med
NatDebt
Program
Percent within all data.
SocialAid
Other
Time Series Plot
• Using the data from Exercise 3.2 ex3-2.mtw
• Graph > Time Series Plot
• Click on Multiple, then OK
• Select PassCar and SUV/Truc for the Series
• Click on Time/Scale
• Select Stamp and Select Year, then OK
• Click Ok again.
Time Series Plot
Area Graph
• Using the data from Exercise 3.2 ex3-2.mtw
• Graph > Area Graph
• Select PassCar and SUV/Truc for the Series
• Click on Time/Scale
• Select Stamp and Select Year, then OK
• Click Ok again.
Area Graph
Area Graph of PassCar, SUV/Truc
20000
Variable
PassCar
SUV/Truc
Data
15000
10000
5000
0
1990
1995
1997
1998
1999
Year
2000
2001
2002
Histogram - Frequency
• Using the data from Exercise 3.4 ex3-4.mtw
• Graph > Histogram
• Click on Simple, then OK
• Select the Graph variables, Floride, then OK
Histogram – Frequency
Histogram of Floride
7
6
Frequency
5
4
3
2
1
0
0.70
0.75
0.80
0.85
0.90
Floride
0.95
1.00
1.05
Histogram – Relative Frequency
• Using the data from Exercise 3.4 ex3-4.mtw
• Graph > Histogram
• Click on Simple, then OK
• Select the Graph variables, Floride
• Select Scale
• Second tab, Y-Scale Type, Percent, then OK
• Then OK
Histogram – Relative Frequency
Histogram of Floride
30
25
Percent
20
15
10
5
0
0.70
0.75
0.80
0.85
0.90
Floride
0.95
1.00
1.05
Dotplot
• Using the data from Exercise 3.4 ex3-4.mtw
• Graph > Dotplot
• Click on Simple, then OK
• Select the Graph variables, Floride
• Then OK
Dotplot
Dotplot of Floride
0.75
0.80
0.85
0.90
Floride
0.95
1.00
1.05
Stem-and-Leaf Plot
• Using the data from Exercise 3.4 ex3-4.mtw
• Graph > Stem-and-Leaf
• Select the Graph variables, Floride
• Then OK
• (Sometimes it is useful to change the Increment value.)
• (Note that the first numbers are counting the number of values from
the tails to the center. And the center number in parentheses is the
number of values in the middle.)
Stem-and-Leaf Plot
Stem-and-Leaf Display: Floride
Stem-and-leaf of Floride N = 25
Leaf Unit = 0.010
1 7
6 7
12 8
(6) 8
7 9
3 9
1 10
2
55679
112233
556788
2333
77
4
Boxplot
• Using the data from Exercise 3.4 ex3-4.mtw
• Graph > Boxplot
• Click on Simple, then OK
• Select the Graph variables, Floride
• Then OK
Boxplot
Boxplot of Floride
1.05
1.00
Floride
0.95
0.90
0.85
0.80
0.75
0.70