How to Make Bar Graphs on Excel

Bar graphs are a great way to display data.

Microsoft Excel allows you to quickly create bar graphs to study and share data. Excel graphs can include a few rows of data or an entire spreadsheet of detailed information. You can format the way data is displayed, thus controlling how the information is presented. The bar graph can later be used in presentations, reports or documents.

Instructions

1. Open a spreadsheet in Excel. Enter the data description in the right-hand column and add the data into the column directly left of the data description. Add the next data entry in the row directly beneath the first entry. Do not leave any blank columns or rows between data entries.

2. Click on an end cell located on the corner of the first or last row of data and drag the mouse over all of the data that you want to include in the bar graph. The data will be highlighted in green.

3. Click the "Graph" icon located on the main tool bar. Click on the type of graph that you want to create from the left-hand side of the page. In Excel, bar graphs are referred to as column or bar charts. Column charts display the data in bars that rise from the bottom of the page. Bar charts display the data in bars that are located on the side of the page.

4. Click on the style of graph that you want to create from the right-hand side of the page. These are referred to as sub-charts and contain bar type and placement options. A preview of your bar graph will appear. Click "Next" if the bar graph appears correct. If data is missing, you can redefine the graph using the pull-down menu located underneath the graph preview.

5. Click "Titles" and add a title for your graph. This title will appear at the top of the graph in bold font.

6. Click "Next." Choose "As a new sheet" to place your bar graph on its own spreadsheet. Choose "As object in" to place the bar graph in the spreadsheet where you originally entered the data.

7. Click "Finish." The worksheet that contains the bar graph will appear. You can reposition the bar graph on the worksheet by clicking on a corner of the graph and dragging it to the desired location.

References

• Microsoft Office 2007: Advanced Concepts and Techniques; Gary B. Shelley, Thomas J. Cashman and Misty A. Vermaat; 2007

Resources

• For additional Excel tips, visit the Microsoft Office website.