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Google Sheetsspreadsheet~5 mins

Scatter plots in Google Sheets - Step-by-Step Guide

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Introduction
Scatter plots help you see how two sets of numbers relate to each other. They show dots on a grid where each dot represents a pair of values. This is useful to find patterns or trends in your data.
When you want to check if sales increase as advertising spend goes up.
When you want to compare students' test scores in math and reading.
When you want to see if temperature affects ice cream sales.
When you want to find out if taller people tend to weigh more.
When you want to spot any unusual data points that do not fit the pattern.
Steps
Step 1: Select
- the two columns of data you want to compare
The cells with your data are highlighted on the sheet
Step 2: Click
- Insert menu at the top
A dropdown menu appears with chart options
Step 3: Choose
- Chart from the Insert menu
A chart appears on your sheet and the Chart editor panel opens on the right
Step 4: In the Chart editor panel, click
- Setup tab, then Chart type dropdown
A list of chart types appears
Step 5: Scroll and select
- Scatter chart from the list
The chart changes to a scatter plot showing your data points
Step 6: Use
- Customize tab in the Chart editor
You can change colors, add axis titles, and adjust point size to make the chart clearer
Before vs After
Before
Two columns of numbers with no visual summary, for example, Advertising Spend and Sales figures in columns A and B
After
A scatter plot chart appears showing dots where each dot's position matches the Advertising Spend (horizontal) and Sales (vertical) values
Settings Reference
Chart type
📍 Chart editor panel > Setup tab > Chart type dropdown
Choose the type of chart to display your data
Default: Column chart
Horizontal axis title
📍 Chart editor panel > Customize tab > Chart & axis titles > Horizontal axis title
Label the bottom axis to explain what data it shows
Default: None
Vertical axis title
📍 Chart editor panel > Customize tab > Chart & axis titles > Vertical axis title
Label the side axis to explain what data it shows
Default: None
Point size
📍 Chart editor panel > Customize tab > Series > Point size
Change how big the dots appear on the scatter plot
Default: Medium
Common Mistakes
Selecting only one column of data before inserting the chart
Scatter plots need two sets of numbers to compare, so one column is not enough
Select both columns of data that you want to plot before inserting the chart
Choosing the wrong chart type like a line or column chart
These charts do not show the relationship between two numeric sets as clearly as scatter plots
Always pick Scatter chart from the Chart type dropdown for this purpose
Not labeling the axes
Without axis titles, it is hard to understand what the dots represent
Add clear horizontal and vertical axis titles in the Customize tab
Summary
Scatter plots show how two sets of numbers relate by plotting dots on a grid.
You create them by selecting two columns of data and choosing Scatter chart from the Insert > Chart menu.
Remember to label your axes so others can understand what the chart shows.