Creating a Bar Graph with the Excel Spreadsheet Program

We can use the Excel spreadsheet program to assist us in creating bar graphs. We can start with a frequency distribution which is already in a spreadsheet which may look like the following for the data on majors of Ed 602 students.

Using the Office 98 Version of Excel (in either the Windows or the Macintosh versions), starting with the worksheet containing the frequency distribution, we can create a bar graph of this data as follows:

  1. In the Ed 602 Majors Frequency Distribution spreadsheet, select cells A2 through B9.
  2. Click on the Chart Wizard icon.
  3. In the Chart Wizard - Step 1 of 4 - Chart Type window select Column chart type if it is not already selected and select Clustered Column Chart sub-type if it is not already selected. Click Next.
  4. In the Chart Wizard - Step 2 of 4 - Chart Source Data window, select Columns in Series in: if it is not already selected. Click Next.
  5. In the Chart Wizard - Step 3 of 4 - Chart Options window, click on the Titles tab if it is not already selected. Click on the Chart title: box and enter the name of the chart - Ed 602 Majors Represented.
  6. Press the tab key to move to the Category (X) axis box and enter the title of the X-axis - Major.
  7. Press the tab key to move to the Value (Y) axis: box and enter the title of the Y-axis - Frequency.
  8. Press the tab key to move to the Value (Y) Axis: box and enter the title of the Y-axis - Frequency.
  9. Click on the Legend tab and then click in the Show legend box to deselect it. Click Next.
  10. In the Chart Wizard - Step 4 of 4 - Chart Location window, click the As object in: button and click Finish.
  11. Move the chart to the desirable place on the worksheet page by clicking on it and dragging it. You may also change the size of your chart by clicking and dragging on one of the darkened boxes at the corners, sides, or top and bottom of the chart.
  12. Save As your Worksheet (under a new name) so that you save your new chart to your computer disk.

The completed worksheet page, using the data for Ed 602 Student Majors should look something like the following:

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