Step 5: Display or hide chart axes or gridlines

When you create a chart, primary axes are displayed for most chart types. You can turn them on or off as needed. When you add axes, you can specify the level of detail that you want the axes to display. A depth axis is displayed when you create a 3-D chart. When the values in a chart vary widely from data series to data series, or when you have mixed types of data (for example, price and volume), you can plot one or more data series on a secondary vertical (value) axis. The scale of the secondary vertical axis reflects the values for the associated data series. After you add a secondary vertical axis to a chart, you can also add a secondary horizontal (category) axis, which might be useful in an xy (scatter) chart or bubble chart. To make a chart easier to read, you can display or hide the horizontal and vertical chart gridlines that extend from any horizontal and vertical axes across the plot area (plot area: In a 2-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including all data series. In a 3-D chart, the area bounded by the axes, including the data series, category names, tick-mark labels, and axis titles.) of the chart.

Display or hide primary axes

1. Click the chart for which you want to display or hide axes. This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs. 2. On the Layout tab, in the Axes group, click Axes, and then do one of the following: To display an axis, click Primary Horizontal Axis, Primary Vertical Axis, or Depth Axis (on a 3-D chart), and then click the axis display option that you want. To hide an axis, click Primary Horizontal Axis, Primary Vertical Axis, or Depth Axis (on a 3-D chart), and then click None. To specify detailed axis display and scaling options, click Primary Horizontal Axis, Primary Vertical Axis, or Depth Axis (on a 3-D chart), and then click More Primary Horizontal Axis Options, More Primary Vertical Axis Options, orOptions or More Depth Axis Options, respectively.
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Explore scatter and line chart types

Scatter charts can use the following chart subtypes. Scatter with only markers This type of chart compares pairs of values. Use a scatter chart with data markers (data marker: A bar, area, dot, slice, or other symbol in a chart that represents a single data point or value that originates from a worksheet cell. Related data markers in a chart constitute a data series.) but without lines when you use many data points and connecting lines would make the data harder to read. You can also use this chart type when there is no need to show connectivity of the data points.

Scatter with smooth lines and scatter with smooth lines and markers This type of chart displays a smooth curve that connects the data points. Smooth lines can be displayed with or without markers. Use a smooth line without markers if there are many data points and/or if you would like to show the connectivity of the data points.

Scatter with straight lines and scatter with straight lines and markers This type of chart displays straight connecting lines between data points. Straight lines can be displayed with or without markers. Once again, this is useful if there are many data points and/or you would like to show the connectivity of the data points.

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Line charts
Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a line chart. Line charts can display continuous data over time, set against a common scale, and are therefore ideal for showing trends in data at equal intervals. In a line chart, category data is distributed evenly along the horizontal axis, and all value data is distributed evenly along the vertical axis. Pictured below is a professional looking line chart:

You should use a line chart if your category labels are text, and are representing evenly spaced values such as months, quarters, or fiscal years. This is especially true if there are multiple seriesfor one series, you should consider using a category chart. You should also use a line chart if you have several evenly spaced numeric labels, especially years. If you have more than ten numeric labels, use a scatter chart instead.

Line charts have the following chart subtypes:

Line and line with markers Displayed with or without markers to indicate individual data values, or without,. line Line charts are useful to show trends over time or ordered categories, especially when there are many data points and the order in which they are presented is important. If there are many categories or the values are approximate, use a line chart without markers.

Stacked line and stacked line with markers Displayed with or without markers to indicate individual data values, or without,. stacked line charts can be used to show the trend of the contribution of each value over

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