In this lesson, you can learn basic information about chart in Excel.
You can insert charts in Excel. Chart are very useful way to visualize data. You can use them in reports, presentations and to show something for your supervisor.
To insert a chart in Excel first select data which you want to visualize. Next go to ribbon. Click Insert choose type of chart in Charts section.
Types of charts in Excel
There is important thing to decide right type of chart.
Column chart
The most popular type of chart. The bigger value, the higher column.
Line chart
Use this chart to show, how data change with the time. Use it to show 2 - 7 series of data. More looks not good.
Pie chart
Use it when you show data which are part of some whole. As an example surface, parts of sales.
Bar chart
Good choice to show more than one category of data or one category with subcategories.
Area chart
Similar to line chart.
Scatter chart
To show change value of data when you know values as points.
Stock chart
Only for investors
Surface chart
When you show two sets of data.
Doughnut chart
Similar to pie chart but can include few data series
Bubble chart
It's a kind of surface chart. Use it when you show three series of data. Bubble chart is often used for financial data to show difference between values.
Radar chart
A good way to display one or more variables for the two-dimensional diagram, wherein each arm presents another variable. The line connects all the data points from a spreadsheet along each arm.
That are basic charts which you can insert in Excel. There are many more types of charts. On this website you can find many lessons about charts in Excel. Not only basics.
Further reading: Scatter Chart with hours Doghnut Chart