How to Create a Standard Deviation Graph in Excel

Excel is the spreadsheet program of the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software, and it is available on PCs and Macs. A spreadsheet program manages data through a series of tables, with each data value inserted into individual cells within the table. The data values then can be used to generate a graphic or chart through built-in function of Excel. Excel has built-in formulas that can interpret the information so that it can be represented accurately in the graphic.

Instructions

1. Open Excel. Open a data file or type the data into a series of columns with one value per column.

2. Click "Insert" and select "Scatter."

3. Select the type of scatter graph you wish to insert.

4. A blank area should be inserted and you should see new tabs as options on the menu bar. Click the "Design" tab and choose "Select Data." Hold "Shift" while selecting the data and click "OK" in the pop-up window.

5. Click on the "Layout" tab and select "Error Bars." Select "Error Bars with Standard Deviation" from the drop-down window.

Tips & Warnings

• The standard deviation is by default 1.0. To change it, select the error bars and right-click "Format Error Bars." The standard deviation value is at the bottom of the dialog box.

References

• Microsoft: Add, Change, or Remove Error Bars in a Chart
• Microsoft: Create a Chart From Start to Finish

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish