Pie Charts
Pie charts show a relationship between several parts and the whole of those parts. This is a fancy way of saying a percentage of the whole.
For pie charts we will enter data in columns. In the first cell enter a label that describes your items. For the example, we will use percentages of items in a coffee mug. So the label will be Item
Beginning with the next cell in your column, fill in all of the names or descriptions of your items. For the example we have pen, pencil, crayon, marker, and laser.
In the next column you will want to enter the Percentage label. This label will go in the cell directly next to your items label.
In the Percentage column enter all of the percentages for the corresponding items.
Notice how the percentage column adds up to 100 percent. If your column doesn’t add up to 100 then you may be creating the wrong type of chart, or your math may be off.
Once your data is completely entered, highlight all of the cells where you’ve typed information by clicking and dragging over the cells. The cells should change color, then click on the Chart Wizard icon.
If you can’t find the Chart Wizard icon, you can always click on Insert -> Chart
The Chart Wizard dialog box should pop onto your screen. Notice that the dialog box says step 1 of 4. This is a little deceiving because there are several steps within some of the steps.
The first thing you’ll want to do is select the chart type. Select the Pie chart type.
Now you need to select the chart sub-type. The most basic pie chart is simply called Pie. A 3-D Pie Chart will add a little more visual appeal. These two chart sub-types are the most common for pie charts. The Exploded versions of these chart sub-types may be useful for showing smaller pieces of your pie, or to give emphasis for pieces of your pie. Choosing which chart type works best for you depends on your data. (For the example we will use the 3-D Pie Chart)
You can click and hold on the Press and Hold to View Sample button to get a rough sample of what your chart would look like.
When you’re happy with a chart sub-type click Next
In step 2 under the Data Range tab, make sure you have Columns selected in the Series in: field because your data should be entered down a column.
Click Next
In stepu 3 under the Titles tab enter a chart title in the Chart title: field.
Under the Legend tab you can choose whether or not you want to show a legend and where you want that legend to be shown on your chart.
Under the Data Labels tab you can choose what kind of label, if any, you want for you pie pieces. Choosing certain data labels will change the size of your pie, so choose the option that displays the information you want without altering your pie too much. (For the example we will use the Show percent data label)
Click Next
Step four asks where you want your chart to be placed. You can choose to have an entirely new sheet created, or to simply have the chart embedded into the sheet with your original data. Since your chart will be used for the web, you can simply embed it as an object in your original sheet.
Click Finish
Your chart should appear in your original sheet. You can make adjustments to the color or other formatting options of the text, background, or lines by double-clicking on the specific area you want to change. For example, if you want to change the color of your headline text from black to blue then you’d double-click on the headline. The Formatting Chart Area dialog box will open. You can adjust the format much like formatting in Word or Photoshop.
If you need to get back into the Chart Wizard you can simply click on the Chart Wizard icon again to make adjustments to your chart.
When you’re satisfied with the appearance of your chart, then you’re ready to move to the Cleaning Up Charts tutorial.