How to Make a Graph in Microsoft Excel 2003

Microsoft Office 2003 is a software suite that is commonly used for business, school and home applications. One of the included programs, Microsoft Excel, is a spreadsheet program that is useful for not only finances and spreadsheet applications, but also for scientific applications such as graphing experimental data and its results. Using the Chart Wizard tool, creating a graph in Microsoft Excel is quite easy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Create a spreadsheet with at least two data sets. One set will be the X-axis (independent axis) of the graph, and the other set will be the Y-axis (dependent axis) of the graph.

2. From the "Insert" menu, click "Chart." The Chart Wizard will appear.

3. Select the type of chart you wish to create. A list of sub-types will appear. Select the sub-type and click "Next."

4. In the Chart Source dialogue box, click "Data Range." Select the data you wish to include for the independent and dependent axes, select "Rows" or "Columns" in the dialogue box, and click "Next."

5. From the Chart Options dialogue box, use the "Titles" and "Legends" tabs to define the graph axes and title. Click "Next."

6. Finally, use the "Chart Location" dialogue box to determine where to place the graph in the Excel worksheet. The graph can be placed as an item in the current worksheet, or on a separate page. Click "Finish" when you are done.

7. If, after viewing the completed graph, you wish to make changes, right-click on the graph. This will allow you to modify the various parts of the graph, including colors and fonts for the legends.

References

• Creating a Surface Chart
• Creating charts in Excel 2003