Charts and Graphs
What You’ll Learn:
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How to create different chart types: Bar, Pie, Line, and Combo
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How to choose the right chart for your data
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How to customize titles, legends, and ranges
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How to build a live project dashboard with charts
Prerequisites:
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A basic dataset (we’ll provide below)
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Familiarity with rows, columns, and headers
Step 1: Sample Data – Monthly Sales
Enter the following into a blank Google Sheet:
| Month | Sales (₹) |
|---|---|
| January | 12,000 |
| February | 15,000 |
| March | 10,000 |
| April | 18,000 |
| May | 20,000 |
| June | 25,000 |
Step 2: Create a Bar Chart
Steps:
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Select the entire data table (A1:B7)
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Click Insert > Chart
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Google Sheets will auto-generate a Column (Bar) Chart
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In the Chart Editor (sidebar):
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Go to Setup > Chart Type → select Column Chart (if not already selected)
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You can switch to Bar Chart for horizontal bars
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Use Case: Great for comparing quantities across months or categories
Step 3: Create a Pie Chart
Steps:
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Use the same dataset
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Go to Insert > Chart
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In the Chart Editor:
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Chart type → Select Pie chart
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Label: Month, Value: Sales
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Use Case: Useful when showing percentage distribution of sales
Step 4: Create a Line Chart
Steps:
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Select A1:B7
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Insert > Chart → Chart type → Line chart
Use Case: Perfect for tracking sales growth or trends over time
Step 5: Create a Combo Chart (Advanced)
Suppose you add another column for Profit:
| Month | Sales (₹) | Profit (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 12,000 | 4,000 |
| February | 15,000 | 5,000 |
| March | 10,000 | 3,000 |
| April | 18,000 | 7,000 |
| May | 20,000 | 8,000 |
| June | 25,000 | 10,000 |
Steps:
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Select all three columns (A1:C7)
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Insert > Chart → Chart type → Combo Chart
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Customize to show:
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Sales as Bar
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Profit as Line
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Use Case: Shows two types of data (e.g., Sales vs Profit) on one chart
Step 6: Customize Your Charts
After inserting any chart:
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Click on the chart
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In the Chart Editor:
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Customize > Chart & axis titles → Rename your chart
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Series → Change colors, line thickness
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Legend → Change position or hide
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Gridlines & Ticks → Add y-axis lines for better reading
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Mini Project: Product Sales Dashboard
| Product | Units Sold | Revenue (₹) | Profit (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| T-Shirts | 200 | 40,000 | 12,000 |
| Jeans | 150 | 60,000 | 18,000 |
| Jackets | 100 | 80,000 | 20,000 |
| Shoes | 90 | 70,000 | 16,000 |
Create the following:
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Bar chart showing Revenue by Product
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Pie chart showing share of Profit
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Line chart showing Units Sold (create fake monthly data)
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Combo chart of Revenue (bar) and Profit (line)
