Column and bar charts in Excel - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

Monthly sales data for four months

Cell	Value
A1	Month
B1	Sales
A2	Jan
B2	100
A3	Feb
B3	150
A4	Mar
B4	120
A5	Apr
B5	180

Formula Trace

N/A (Charts are created using Excel's Insert Chart feature, not formulas)

Step 1: Select data range A1:B5

Step 2: Insert > Chart > Column Chart

Step 3: Change chart type to Bar Chart

Cell Reference Map

    A       B
1 |Month | Sales |
2 | Jan  | 100  |
3 | Feb  | 150  |
4 | Mar  | 120  |
5 | Apr  | 180  |

Data range A1:B5 is used for the chart.

The chart uses the months in column A and sales numbers in column B as input data.

Result

Spreadsheet view:

    A       B
1 |Month | Sales |
2 | Jan  | 100  |
3 | Feb  | 150  |
4 | Mar  | 120  |
5 | Apr  | 180  |

Chart area (not shown in cells) displays columns or bars representing sales for each month.

The chart visually shows sales amounts for each month as vertical columns or horizontal bars next to the data.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What data do you select to create a column chart for monthly sales?

A Only months in A2:A5

B Only sales numbers in B2:B5

C Cells A1:B5 including months and sales

D Cells A2:B3 only

Key Result

N/A - Charts are created using Excel's Insert Chart feature, not formulas.