WhyaSpecificTypeofGraph?
Whatdata/resultsdoyouhave?
Whatdoyouwanttoshow?
Whatistheconventionforthesetypeofdata?
TypesofGraphs
GraphingwithEXCEL
Selectthedatayouwanttograph
FromtheInsert tab,selectCharts
Choseeither
Column
Line
Pie
Bar
Area
Scatter
OtherCharts
OtherChartTypesinEXCEL
OtherCharts include
Stock
Surface
Doughnut
Bubble
Radar
MainTypes XY/ScatterPlot
Mostcommonlyusedgraphillustratinga
possiblerelationbetweenX andY
X doesnothavetobeequallyspaced
Canplot
Justpoints
Pointswithcurves
Justcurves
Pointswithlines
Justlines
MainTypes XY/ScatterPlot
Usinglines(andcurves,orsmoothed)has
implications
Youareinterpolatingbetweenthedatapoints
Ontherightthere
isalinearincrease
fromonepointtothe
next
MainTypes XY/ScatterPlot
Canfitatrendline through
thedata
Estimaterelationbetween
thetwovariables
Differenttypes
Lines
Nonlinearfunctions
Displayequation
Displayfitoffunction
MainTypes LinePlot
UsedwhentheX variableiscontinuousand
hasthesameintervalthroughout,suchasa
timestepofaday,month,etc.
X axisisconsideredcategorical
Canformatwellfor(mathematically)non
regularintervals
e.g.,dailydaywithmonthlytickmarks
SimilarformatstoXYplots
MainTypes BarChart
Column(orBar)
Vertical(orHorizontal)bars
Display
ClusterColumn =SidebySide
StackedColumn =ColumnontopofColumn
100%StackedColumn =AllColumnsperlabel/itemare
proportionedsonetstackis100%
Various3DColumnsplots=usuallytooshowyin
science(usedinBusiness,etc.,whenyoudonthave
muchdata)
Others
Piechart
Showstheparts/distributionofthewhole
Stockplot
Showserror,variability(stddev),max/min,
percentiles,etc.
X axisiscategorical
CanuseerrorbarsonanXY plot
Clickonplot,selectLayout tab,thenAnalysis,
thenErrorBars
Others
BubblePlot(usesX,Y,Zdata)
ShowsmagnitudeofZ inspace
Goodifnotonaregulargrid
AregulargridcanbeaRasterplot
e.g.,populationofcitiesorpercapitawateruse
RadarPlot(usesX,Ydata)
Usedwhendirectionisimportant
e.g.,dominantwinddirectionatalocation(calleda
windrose)