You have monthly sales data for two products over a year. You want to show how sales changed over time and compare the two products clearly. Which chart type tells the best story?
Think about showing changes over time and comparing two sets of data.
A line chart with two lines clearly shows trends over time and allows easy comparison between products. Pie and bar charts show totals but not trends. Scatter plots are less intuitive for time series.
You want to add a label showing the percentage change in sales from January to December in a cell. If January sales are in B2 and December sales in B13, which formula correctly calculates the percentage change?
Percentage change is (new - old) divided by old.
The formula (B13-B2)/B2 calculates the change from January (old) to December (new) divided by January, giving the correct percentage change.
You want your chart to update automatically when you add new data rows. Which Excel function helps create a dynamic range for the chart data?
Think about a function that can define a range based on a starting point and size.
OFFSET can create a range that changes size dynamically based on data, perfect for charts that update with new rows.
You see a bar chart where the Y-axis starts at 50 instead of 0. What effect does this have on the story the chart tells?
Consider how starting the axis higher than zero changes visual bar lengths.
Starting the Y-axis at 50 exaggerates differences, making small changes look large and potentially misleading the viewer.
Combination charts use two or more chart types together (e.g., bars and lines). What is the main advantage of using combination charts in data storytelling?
Think about showing data with different units or scales together.
Combination charts let you display different data types or scales together, making complex stories clearer by using appropriate chart types side by side.