Excel Lesson 8
Working with Charts
Microsoft Office 2007:
Introductory
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Objectives
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Excel – Lesson 8
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Identify the purpose of charting worksheet
data.
Identify the types of charts.
Create a chart embedded in a worksheet.
Move a chart to a chart sheet.
Choose a chart layout and style.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Objectives (continued)
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Excel – Lesson 8
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Display or hide chart elements.
Format a chart.
Edit a format chart text.
Change the chart type.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Vocabulary
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Excel – Lesson 8
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Axis
Chart
Chart area
Chart layout
Chart sheet
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Chart style
Column chart
Data label
Data marker
Data series
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Vocabulary (continued)
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Excel – Lesson 8
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Data source
Data table
Embedded chart
Exploded pie chart
Legend
Line chart
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Pie chart
Plot area
Scatter chart
Selection box
Sizing handles
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
What is a Worksheet Chart?
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Excel – Lesson 8
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6
A chart is a graphical representation of data.
Charts make the data in a worksheet easier to
understand by providing a visual picture of the
data.
Pasewark & Pasewark
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Comparing Chart Types
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Excel – Lesson 8
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You can create a variety of charts in Excel, each
working with specific types of data.
Column chart: Uses bars to illustrate values in a
worksheet, and shows relationships among categories.
Line chart: Shows points connected by a line, and is
ideal for illustrating trends over time.
Pie chart: Shows the relationship of a part to a whole.
Each part is shown as a “slice” of the pie.
Scatter chart (XY chart): Shows the relationship
between two categories of data, one represented on the
vertical axis, and the other on the horizontal axis. The
points are not connected.
Pasewark & Pasewark
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Creating Charts
Excel – Lesson 8
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8
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Selecting Chart Data: Chart data, called the data
source, is stored in a range of cells in the worksheet.
When you select the data source, include the text
you want to use as labels. You can chart more than
one series of data. A data series is a group of related
information in a column or row of a worksheet that is
plotted on the chart.
Selecting a Chart Type: The next step is to select the
type of chart you want to create, such as a column
chart, a pie chart, or a line chart. Each type of chart
has a variety of subtypes you can choose from. The
chart types are available on the Insert tab in the
Charts group.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Creating Charts (continued)
Excel – Lesson 8
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9
Choosing the Chart Location: After you select a chart
type and style, the chart is inserted as an embedded
chart in the center of the worksheet. You can also
choose to move the chart to a chart sheet, which is a
separate sheet in the workbook that stores a chart.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Updating the Data Source
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Excel – Lesson 8
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10
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Charts are closely related to their underlying
data stored in a worksheet.
If you need to change the data in the
worksheet, the chart is automatically updated
to reflect the new data.
You switch between a chart sheet and a
worksheet by clicking the appropriate sheet
tab.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Excel – Lesson 8
Designing a Chart
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Charts are made up of different parts, or elements.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Designing a Chart (continued)
Excel – Lesson 8
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Selecting Chart Elements: The quickest way to
select a chart element is to click it with the pointer. If
you point to an element, a ScreenTip displays with
its name. A selected chart element is surrounded by
a selection box. After you select a chart element, you
can modify it.
Choosing a Chart Layout and Style: You can quickly
change the look of any chart you created by applying
a layout and style. A chart layout specifies which
elements are included in a chart and where they are
placed. A chart style formats the chart based on the
colors, fonts, and effects associated with the
workbook’s theme.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Designing a Chart (continued)
Excel – Lesson 8
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Arranging Chart Elements: You can create a specific
look for a chart by specifying which chart elements
appear in the chart and where they are located.
For example, you can choose when and where to
display the chart title, axis titles, legend, data labels,
data table, axes, gridlines, and the plot area. Select
the chart. Then, click the Layout tab under Chart
Tools on the Ribbon. The Labels, Axes, and
Background groups contain buttons for each
element.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Creating a 3-D Chart
Excel – Lesson 8
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14
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A pie chart shows the relationship of a part to
a whole. Each part is shown as a “slice” of
the pie. The slices are different colors to
distinguish each data marker.
Pie charts, as with many chart types, can be
either 2-D or 3-D. When you select the chart
style, click a 3-D chart subtype to create a
3-D chart.
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Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Formatting and Modifying a Chart
Excel – Lesson 8
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Formatting a Chart: To make changes to an
element’s fill, border color, alignment, and so forth,
access the Format dialog box by selecting the chart
you want to edit. Then, on the Format tab under
Chart Tools on the Ribbon, in the Current Selection
group, click the Format Selection button.
Editing and Formatting Chart Text: Use the standard
text formatting tools to make changes to the fonts
used in the chart.
Changing the Chart Type: On the Design tab, under
Chart Tools on the Ribbon, in the Type group, click
the Change Chart Type button. The Change Chart
Type dialog box appears.
Pasewark & Pasewark
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Summary
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Excel – Lesson 8
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16
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A chart is a graphical representation of data. You can
create several types of worksheet charts, including
column, line, pie, and scatter charts.
Charts can be embedded within a worksheet or
created on a chart sheet.
The process for creating a chart is the same for all
chart types. Select the data for the chart. Select a chart
type. Move, resize, and format the chart as needed.
Any changes made to a data source automatically
appear in the chart based on that data.
Pasewark & Pasewark
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory
Summary (continued)
Excel – Lesson 8
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17
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Charts are made up of different parts, or elements. You
can apply a chart layout and a chart style to determine
which elements appear in the chart, where they
appear, and how they look.
You can fine-tune a chart by clicking a chart element
and then opening its Format dialog box. You can also
edit and format the chart text, using the standard text
formatting tools.
You can change the type of chart in the Change Chart
Type dialog box.
Pasewark & Pasewark
Microsoft Office 2007: Introductory