Examples of the Different Types of Charts That
Are Available in Microsoft Excel 2010
Table of Contents
COLUMN CHARTS ..............................................................................................................................................................................2
LINE CHARTS......................................................................................................................................................................................2
PIE CHARTS ........................................................................................................................................................................................3
BAR CHARTS ......................................................................................................................................................................................3
AREA CHARTS ....................................................................................................................................................................................4
SCATTER CHARTS ...............................................................................................................................................................................4
STOCK CHARTS ..................................................................................................................................................................................5
SURFACE CHARTS ..............................................................................................................................................................................5
DOUGHNUT CHARTS..........................................................................................................................................................................6
BUBBLE CHARTS ................................................................................................................................................................................6
RADAR CHARTS .................................................................................................................................................................................7
© Dianne Harrison Ferro Mesarch
Column Charts
Column charts are useful for showing data changes over a period of time or for illustrating comparisons
among individual items. In this example, the column chart illustrates how the “balance of necessity” between cell
phones and landline phones shifts with the age of the respondents.
Line Charts
Line charts display continuous data over time and are good for showing trends in data. The line chart below
illustrates the increasing number of adults who are using the Internet.
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Pie Charts
Pie charts show the size of items in one data series (that is, data presented in one column or one row only)
proportional to the sum of the items. This pie chart shows America’s favorite ice cream flavors, according to a 2009
Harris Poll.
Bar Charts
Like column charts, bar charts illustrate comparisons among individual items. The bar chart below displays how
student debt affects borrowers.
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Area Charts
Area charts emphasize the amount of change over time and display a trend in total value. This area chart
emphasizes the increased sales in the state of Washington while illustrating the contribution of other states to total
sales at the same time.
Scatter Charts
Scatter charts are used for displaying and comparing numeric values, such as scientific, statistical, and
engineering data. The scatter chart below visually compares actual temperatures to predicted temperatures.
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Stock Charts
Stock charts are used to illustrate the fluctuation of stock prices. This stock chart below displays the highs and
lows of Visifire from January 1 to January 29th.
Surface Charts
A surface chart shows a three-dimensional surface that connects a set of data points. Surface charts do not
use colors to distinguish data series, but rather to distinguish values. Surface charts are often used for
topographic maps. In this example, the surface chart displays quantum wave values.
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Doughnut Charts
Like a pie chart, a doughnut chart shows the relationship of parts to a whole, but it can contain more than
one data series. This doughnut chart shows the five most popular dog breeds in America in 2009 and 2010.
Bubble Charts
A bubble chart is a variation of a scatter chart in which the data points are replaced with bubbles. An
additional dimension of the data is represented in the size of each bubble. The most effective (and
understandable) bubble charts that I have seen have to do with population. In this bubble chart, as the populace amount
grows, so does the bubble’s size and position.
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Radar Charts
Radar charts compare the aggregate values of several data series by plotting the values of each category
along a separate axis that starts in the center of the chart and ends on the outer ring. In this example, the radar
chart displays the rate of sale for each item. The farther the point is from the center, the greater its value. We can see
from the example below that while flowers have sold very well, trees have not.
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