Question

Using the Internet, conduct a thorough search for more information on using charts in Excel and discuss one including a use for your response to my post. The purpose is to learn more about the topic you chose. Do not simply list the "how to" steps. We can get that from the etext and the training. Choose a topic from the following:

• Session 4.1

• Create a pie chart

• Format chart elements

• Create a line chart

• Work with chart legends

• Create a combination chart

• Session 4.2

• Create a scatter chart

• Edit a chart data source

• Create a data callout

• Insert shapes and icons into a worksheet

• Create and edit a data bar

• Create and edit a group of sparklines

Answer 1

Session 4.1

Create a pie chart

A pie chart, sometimes called a circle chart, is a useful tool for displaying basic statistical data in the shape of a circle (each section resembles a slice of pie). Unlike in bar charts or line graphs, you can only display a single data series in a pie chart, and you can’t use zero or negative values when creating one. A negative value will display as its positive equivalent, and a zero value simply won’t appear.

Step1:

1. Open a blank worksheet in Excel.
2. Enter data into the worksheet and select the data.
3. Remember that pie charts only use a single data series. If you select the column headers, the header for the values will appear as the chart title, and you won’t be able to edit the text.
4. Click Chart > Pie (hovering over the chart types will show brief info about them), and then click Pie.
5. The pie chart appears on the worksheet.

PIE CHARTS: CUSOMIZING

The resulting pie chart lacks al the category names and it might be helpful to include the percentage breakdown.

To get all category names

• Select the legend area by clicking on the legend.
• Move the legend up to the top of the figure.
• At the middle of the bottom drag on the box in the middle.

To get the percentage breakdown

• Select the main chart area by clicking in the main chart area.
• Right-click to get the following dialog box.
• Click on Add Data Labels which gives the values of the expenditures (not percentages).
• Right click in the main chart area which gives the above dialog box with the extra entry Format Data Labels.
• Click on format Data Labels and in the Format Data Labels dialog box deselect Value and select Percentage.    

LINE CHART

LINE CHARTS

The line chart is not really helpful for categorical data as above.
The line chart is best used for numerical data that are observed over time.

To create a line chart

• Highlight just the data for TRSP500 (not the date) and the headings (here columns B1:B1359)
• Select the Insert Tab and Charts group and click on Line Chart
• Select the first of the 2-D Line Charts (a line chart).
• 

The displayed dates can be reduced to whole numbers

• Highlight the Horizintal (category) axis and right click.
• Select Format Axis
• In the Format Axis dialog box choose Number
• Change from general to Number; select 0 decimal places; and uncheck use 1000 separator

A horiiontal axis can be added by

• Highlight the chart
• In Chart Tools at the top select Layout and Axis Titles
• Select Primary Horizontal Axis Title
• Select Title below Axis

Create a combination chart:

1.Select the data.

2.Click the Insert tab

3.In the Charts group, click on the ‘Insert Column Chart’ icon

4.Click on Clustered Column chart. This will insert the chart in the worksheet area

5.With the Chart Selected, go to the Design tab and click on Select Data

6.In the ‘Select Data Source’ dialog box, click on Edit option (below the ‘Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels’).

7.Select years that you want to plot in the chart

8.ok

Work with chart legends

When the data appearing in a chart contains multiple dataSeries, it becomes more readable if they are shown in a legend. This helps in identifying each dataSeries/dataPoint in the chart.

When we want Legend to appear for a dataSeries, we set showInLegend to true in that dataSeries, this makes the dataSeries to appear in legend. This way you can choose which dataSeries to show in legend.
By default name of series is shown in legend. To Customize the text, you can mention legendText in dataSeries.