Section: Graphs and Charts
...Subsection: Parts of a graph

There will be a few key elements to any graph.

Data Range

The graph is a graphical interpretation of some data. Generally, you will create a spreadsheet that generates some type of data, and use the graph to illustrate the data. When you define a graph, you will need some way to explain which data is being depicted. You can usually select the data you want with a range.

X and Y axes

As you may remember, the X axis is the stuff that goes along the horizontal border of the chart. The Y axis is the vertical stuff. Most spreadsheet programs try to guess which stuff you want plotted as the X axis and which you want as the Y axis. If the graph looks completely wrong, you might want to look for some kind of feature that allows you to change the X - Y orientation.

Upper and Lower Bounds

You might want to specify the upper and lower limits of the axes. The program will usually try to guess what you want, but you may still need to modify it.

Labels

There will usually be an option for setting or changing the labels on a graph. This will allow you to put informative (or misleading, I guess) labels on the graph to make it easier to read. (unless you are sneaky.)

Graph type

You will usually get some type of option to change the type of graph that is displayed. See below for more information about graph types.