No one will dispute that a histogram is a good tool for displaying data visually. Just by looking at such a diagram, you can quickly assess the situation without resorting to the analysis of numerical values in the table. That is why the world-famous spreadsheet editor Excel has adopted this tool.
The article will talk about how to build a histogram in Excel. Four construction methods will be analyzed, each of which is sufficiently different from each other. That is why it is worth reading the article to the end in order to choose a method for yourself. At the end of the article, we will also give an example of building a histogram in Word.
Histogram
Excel has the ability to build a histogram in three ways:
- using a special tool;
- Using conditional formatting
- using add-ons.
Now we will consider all the ways how to build a histogram in Excel. By the way, it can take different forms - to be part of a certain cell or as a separate object.
The first way: building a regular histogram
The construction begins by highlighting the area of the table, the values of which will be displayed in the future histogram. Once the selection has been made, you need to go to the "Insert" tab. In it, you must click on the "Histogram" button, which is located in the "Charts" area.
As a result, you will have a detailed list in which you need to select one of the diagrams. By the way, ordinary histograms are the first in the list.
After choosing in Excel, the necessary option will appear, and on this construction can be considered complete. However, you can edit the histogram using the tools that are located in a group of tabs called "Working with Charts".
Second way: build with accumulation
As in the first method, we need a dedicated table. The histogram in this case is built a little differently. The first thing you need to pay attention to is the names in the header: they should not be. Otherwise, nothing will work.
After selecting it, you must also go to the "Insert" tab, click on the "Charts" button and select the one that interests you in the "Histogram" drop-down menu. It is worth noting that the histograms with accumulation are on the right side of the list.
Having selected one of the elements, you will see a graph on the sheet of the document. The histogram, as in the previous method, can be changed at your discretion, for this also use the tools located in the group of tabs "Working with charts".
Third way: building using add-ons
Now let's move on to the third method, how to build a histogram. It consists in using a special analysis package.
The first step is to activate this package. To do this, you must initially click on the "File" button in the program. Next, in the sidebar, go to the "Parameters" section. Now find the "Add-ons" item and in the "Manage" drop-down list, select "Excel Add-ons". After that, click the Go button.
An add-ons window will open in front of you, in which you need to put a check mark next to "Analysis Package" and click "OK".
So, the analysis package is activated. Now the histogram is built in the "Data" tab - go there.
On the toolbar, click on the "Data Analysis" button located on the right side in the "Analysis" area. A window will appear in which it is necessary to select the "Histogram" item and press the "OK" button.
Another window will open where you need to set the parameters of the future chart. In the field "Input interval" you need to specify the area of the table, the data of which will be used for construction. After that, check the box next to "Graph output." Now you just have to indicate where this chart will be displayed. There are three options - a new workbook, a new sheet, or this sheet. After the settings are set, click the "OK" button.
As a result, a histogram chart will be displayed at the location you specified.
Fourth method: building with conditional formatting
The fourth way, how to build a histogram, is fundamentally different from all the above. At the end of its analysis, you will see for yourself.
Initially, as in previous times, you need to select the area of the table, the data of which will be used for construction. As soon as you do this, go to the "Home" tab and open the "Conditional formatting" drop-down list on the toolbar. In it you need to find the item "Histograms" and in the window that appears, select the type of histogram. There are two options: with gradient fill and with solid. There is practically no difference in them, so when choosing, you can focus on your taste.
As soon as you select the type of histogram, it will appear in certain cells as a filling line.
Building a bar chart in Word
Now let's figure out how to make a histogram in Word. At its core, the process of its creation is not much different from Excel, but first things first.
Initially, indicate by clicking the left mouse button the place where you want to insert the histogram. After that, go to the "Insert" tab and in the "Illustrations" area, click on the "Insert Chart" button - a window of the same name will appear.
In the window on the side panel, select the category "Histogram", and in the right part define the type of histogram. As you can see, there are both regular and cumulative ones - select the one you need and click the "OK" button.
Your histogram appears on the Word sheet. Notice that under it there will be a small "Excel" table for data entry. Set the necessary variables and enjoy the result.
Now you know how to make a bar chart in Word. It should be noted that this is no more complicated than in Excel.