Chart possible of dates vs. pounds?

G

GBL

Hi:
Setting up charts are perplexing to me.
Attempting to plot weights vs dates (lbs along y-axis; dates along
x-axis). Every time I get the chart to display actual dates, the pound data
is not displayed. When I get the pound data to display, the dates are
always incorrect or displayed as occurrences (days).
The dates are formatted as (mm/dd/yr). The pounds are formatted as
number (nnn.n).
What chart settings are correct to display what I need?
Thanks in advance!!
 
K

Kevin H. Stecyk

GBL...
Hi:
Setting up charts are perplexing to me.
Attempting to plot weights vs dates (lbs along y-axis; dates along
x-axis). Every time I get the chart to display actual dates, the pound data
is not displayed. When I get the pound data to display, the dates are
always incorrect or displayed as occurrences (days).
The dates are formatted as (mm/dd/yr). The pounds are formatted as
number (nnn.n).
What chart settings are correct to display what I need?
Thanks in advance!!
Click to expand...

This ought to work.

Perhaps, tell us the following:

Dates: which cells (or range) contain the dates

Pounds: which cells (or range) contain the pounds

What steps did you follow.

I hope we can spot where something went amiss.
 
A

AlfD

Hi!

Sounds like you might be trying to do a line graph.
Try XY scattergraph (which can have lines, too)?

Al
 
J

Jon Peltier

Here's a quick walk through.

Put the dates into a column, and the weights in the next column. Leave a
cell blank at the top of the dates column (resist the urge to type
"Dates"). Put a label at the top of the weights column ("Weights" is
probably good). Leaving the single blank cell tells Excel that the first
column is for X categories or values, and the first row is for the name
of the series (i.e., the legend text).

Select a single cell within this region (and Excel will select the
entire contiguous range) or select the entire range, then start the
chart wizard. You can make a Line chart or a Scatter chart; either way
you can format the series the same (with or without markers, with or
without lines), but the difference is in the treatment of the X data.

A line chart treats X as non-numerical categories, or as dates if you
choose the Time Scale option for the axis (from Chart Options on the
Chart menu, after you've made the chart). A Scatter chart treats the X
data as numerical values. For more on these chart types:

http://peltiertech.com/Excel/ChartsHowTo/CatVsValueAxis.html
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=190

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
_______
 
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