If you’re on this page, you’re wondering, “what is a column chart?” A column chart is a graphical tool used to display data in vertical bars. The bars can be either clustered together or spaced out evenly. The height of each bar represents the value of the data point for that bar. The column chart is most effective at displaying data with a small number of values.
What is the history of the column chart?
The column chart is one of the most commonly used chart types and has been around for centuries. It was further developed by Florence Nightingale in 1851 to track the mortality rates of soldiers in the Crimean War. Nightingale used the column chart to show the number of deaths each day from each category of illness.
How do you build a column chart?
To create a column chart in Excel, you can use the following steps:
- Select the data that you want to include in the chart.
- Click on the Insert tab and then click on the Column chart icon. Excel will automatically create a column chart based on the data that you selected.
- You can customize the column chart by changing the colors, the labels, the axes, and the data.
- You can also add a trendline to the column chart to show how the data is changing over time.
To make a column chart in Google Sheets, follow these steps:
- Open a new Google Sheet.
- In the first column, enter the values that you want to graph.
- In the next column, enter the category names for those values.
- Select the data in the first two columns.
- Go to the Insert menu and select Chart.
- Select the Column chart type.
- Click on the Data tab.
- In the Series section, select the category name from the drop-down menu.
- In the Values section, select the corresponding value.
- Click on the Layout tab.
- In the Horizontal axis section, select the category name from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the Format tab.
- In the Style section, select the color and line style for the chart.
How are column charts used?
Column charts are typically used to track data changes. They can also be used to compare data sets. Column charts are often used to display data such as stock prices or sales figures. Column charts are often also used to compare data between different categories. For example, you could compare the number of students who are male and female. This can be helpful in understanding the differences between the two groups. Column charts are also very effective at showing changes over time. For example, you could use a column chart to show how the number of people who are unemployed has changed over time. This can help you understand how the economy is doing.
The column chart is a good choice for data that:
– Is comparative
– Is ranked
– Shows proportions
– Measures change over time
How do you interpret a column chart?
Interpreting a column chart is simple. The height of each bar represents the value of the data point for that bar. So, the values on the vertical axis represent the data points in the order that they appear in the chart. You can use this information to answer questions about the data, such as what is the average value, or what is the difference between the first and last value.
Overall, a column chart is one of many effective ways to visualize data and gain insight from a set of values.
