Instructions: Graphing Using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2013)

Creating a graph
1) Highlight the data you would like to include (2 columns)
a. To highlight a second column that is not adjacent to the first column, keep a finger on the
ctrl button as you select the 2nd column.
b. Excel will automatically graph the 1st column of your data as the x-axis and the 2nd column
of your data as the y-axis. If you want the axes to switch, switch the columns on the Excel
spreadsheet.
2) Click the Insert tab at the top of the Excel window.
3) Click the Scatterplot graph button in the Charts section.
4) Click on the drawings with the dots connected with lines. The graph will pop up.
5) Click on any blank space beside the graph title and 3 squares will appear next to the upper right
corner of the graph. Click on the top square with the green plus sign (+) and ensure that the
following boxes are checked off:
a. Axes
c. Chart title
b. Axis titles
d. Gridlines

i. Depending on your data, you may also need to add a trendline. If that is the case,
also click on the box for Trendline.
6)
7) Sizing your graph
1) Select your graph and cut it (ctrl X).
2) Create a new Sheet
a. At the very bottom of the Excel window, you should see a tab labeled Sheet 1 (or
Periodic Trends Data for the Exploring Periodic Trends Activity). To the right of that is
a small plus sign. Click on it and a new sheet will pop up.
b. To make your sheet landscape:
i. Click on the Page Layout tab near the top of the Excel program.
ii. Click on the Orientation icon
iii. Click on the Landscape option
iv. ** If this does not change the orientation, click on any empty cell and select all (ctrl
A). This will select everything on the sheet. Then repeat steps 2b.
3) Paste your graph into this new sheet (ctrl V)
4) Click the View tab at the top of the Excel window
5) Click the Page Layout button. This will allow you to see the borders of the page.
6) Click on your graph and drag the ends until they are near, but not touching, the edges of the page
a. All of your graphs on this or any lab should take up a whole page. If you are printing out
multiple graphs, each graph may take up half a page, but no less than that.
8)
9) Editing the graph title
1) Click on your graph title.
2) Type in the name of your graph.
a. Generally, the name of graphs should be the x-axis vs. the y-axis. (ie: Atomic Number vs.
Atomic Radius).
10)
11) Editing the axis titles
1) Click on your graph title.
2) Type in the name of your graph.
a. Generally, the name of graphs should be the x-axis vs. the y-axis. (ie: Atomic Number vs.
Atomic Radius).
12)
13) Adding axis titles
1) Click on your axis title (either for the x-axis or for the y-axis).
2) Type in the axis title. Be sure to include units.
14)
15) Adding y-axis minor gridlines
1) Right click on any number in the y-axis. A menu will pop up.
2) Click the Add minor gridlines option.
16)
17) Modifying the x-axis
1) Double click on any number in the x-axis. A column/window will pop up to the right titled
Format Axis.
2) Click on Axis Options and underneath that, click on the bar graph icon (3 bars, last icon).
a. Modifying x-axis gridlines
i. Open the Axis Options section. (This is usually opened up automatically. If not,
it is the top section of 4.)
ii. Set the major units (3rd & 4th boxes)

1. Major units = lines on the graph with numbers indicated

a. Make certain that the numbers used here are close enough to allow
for accurate estimates of data points. At the same time, make certain
that the numbers indicated are not so close together that the numbers
run into each other and one cannot tell where one number ends and
the next number begins.
2. Minor units = lines on the graph without numbers indicated, seen in
between the major unit gridlines.
a. Excel will automatically change the minor units if you change the
major units, unless you type a number into the box.
b. Your minor units should end with a 1, 2, 5 or 0.
c. Your major units should be a multiple of the minor units.
iii. Set the minimum and maximum values (1st & 2nd boxes)
1. Find the minimum value from your data. If it is a number that is a multiple
of your minor unit, keep it as it is. If the minimum value is not a multiple
of your minor unit, find the nearest multiple that comes below your
minimum value.
2. Find the maximum value from your data. If it is a number that is a multiple
of your minor unit, keep it as it is. If the maximum value is not a multiple
of your minor unit, find the nearest multiple that comes after your minimum
value.
b. Placing the x-axis label at the bottom of the graph (rather than somewhere in the middle
of the graph):
i. Open the Labels section. (It is the 3rd section, indicated by a white triangle of 4.)
ii. There is a pull-down menu set to Next to Axis. Change the pull-down menu to
Low.
18)
19) Modifying the y-axis
1) Follow the instructions found in the Modifying the y-axis section.