Charts & Graphs
A chart turns numbers into a picture — the fastest way to show a trend or compare amounts.
What you will learn
- Create a chart from your data
- Pick the right chart type for the job
- Add a title and labels so it reads clearly
Why a picture beats a table
People struggle to spot patterns in a wall of numbers, but a chart shows the story at a glance — which product sells most, or whether sales are rising. Charts make your reports clear and convincing.
Making your first chart
Select your data including the headings, then go to Insert and pick a chart type. Start with this table:
| Product | Sales |
|---|---|
| Apples | 120 |
| Bananas | 90 |
| Cherries | 60 |
Select A1:B4 > Insert > Column ChartNote: Output: A column chart appears with three bars: Apples is the tallest, then Bananas, then Cherries. The taller the bar, the bigger the sales, so it is instantly clear Apples lead.
Pick the right chart
Choosing the right type is most of the skill. Match the chart to the question you are answering:
| Chart type | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Column / Bar | Comparing amounts across categories | Sales per product |
| Line | Showing change over time | Monthly sales trend |
| Pie | Showing parts of a whole | Share of sales by region |
| Scatter | Relationship between two numbers | Ad spend vs sales |
Watch out: Use a pie chart only for parts of a single whole, and only with a few slices. For comparing amounts, a column chart is almost always clearer than a pie.
A second example: a trend over time
A column chart compares separate things. To show a trend — how one thing changes month by month — a line chart is the right pick. Here are six months of sales:
| Month | Sales |
|---|---|
| Jan | 120 |
| Feb | 150 |
| Mar | 140 |
| Apr | 180 |
| May | 210 |
| Jun | 240 |
Select the month/sales table > Insert > Line ChartNote: Output: A single line rises from left to right, dipping slightly at March, then climbing to its highest point in June. The upward slope tells the story instantly: sales are growing. A line chart makes a trend obvious in a way a table of six numbers never could.
Make it readable
A chart without labels is a puzzle. Always add:
- A clear chart title that states the point, like Sales by Product.
- Axis labels so people know what the numbers mean.
- A legend when you show more than one series of data.
Tip: The chart stays linked to your data. Change a sales number and the bar resizes by itself — so your chart is always up to date without redrawing it.
Q. You want to show how monthly sales changed over a year. Which chart fits best?
✍️ Practice
- Build the product/sales table and make a column chart, then give it the title Sales by Product.
- Create monthly sales for six months and show them as a line chart.
🏠 Homework
- Make a table of sales for four regions, choose a suitable chart, add a title and labels, then explain in one sentence what the chart shows.