How to make an Excel Graph
On your data / calculation page place
1 – Heading - Go into View on the top of the Excel page. Find Header/Footer - Enter. In this window, click Custom Header. Your header should always contain:
Your Name and Your Partner's Name in the left column, stacked
Exp. # and Experiment Title in the middle column, stacked
Block and Date in the right column, stacked
2 – Title for the Table - It should reflect the data it contains
3 – Title your columns (with labels)
4 – Enter data - when you enter your data, do NOT put in labels. Excel can't make a graph with numbers and letters within the same cell.
5 – Click bar graph icon in the top bar.
6 – Select XY Scatter
7 – Click 2nd row, 1st column graph option - dots with smooth lines
8 – Click Series tab
9 – Remove any old series that may be present. Add series.
10 – Add name. It should reflect the info. from your data table
11 – Click little box at end of X values option.
12 – Highlight x values from data table. Click little box at end of small window (under the close box).
13 – Click little box at end of Y values option.
14 – Highlight y values from data table. Click little box at end of small window (under the close box).
15 – Add Series to plot second set of data on same graph.
16 – Repeat steps 10 – 14 for second set of data.
17 – When done click Next.
18 – Click Title Tab - Enter title of Graph. It should be the same as the title for your data table.
19 - Axes are good - don't change them.
20 – Click Gridline, select Major grid lines.
21 – Click Legend (you decide where you want it located – the bottom is a good place).
22 – Data Labels do not need to be added.
23 – Click Next
24 – Place the graph on a separate sheet from your data table.
25 – Go to print preview to be sure that the graph is on a separate sheet. Adjust format if necessary (landscape etc)
26 – Put Borders around your data if you wish.
27 - Format the axis(es) if necessary to move the graph to the center of the page. Do this by right clicking on the axis line on your graph. Format axis option should come up. Click this. Once in this window click the scale tab. Enter the minimum number for the axis and maximum if necessary. Repeat for the other axis if necessary.
28 - Format the plot area - to get background of the graph to print white (save ink) - right click the background. Click on Format Plot Area. When in this window click on the white box (lower right) to change the background.
29 - To display the best fit line - Click on Chart in the upper menu. Click on Add trendline. Select linear as the option.
