graphing problem.... frustrating!!!!!!!

Steppenwolf · May 17th, 2002, 09:07 AM

here is a simple graphing problem for you excel experts... not even the computer guys at work could help me out.

here is a hypothetical scenario that is analagous to what i'm trying to do... there are 3 people, jim, bob, and paul, and they each throw stones and measure the distance of each throw. Jim throws 10 times and thus has 10 measurements. bob throws 10 times, with 10 measurements. paul throws 8 times, with 8 measurements. now i want to graph this data, where on the y-axis would be distance, and the x-axis three columns or categories with the names of the three guys - jim, bob, and paul. above each person's name, i want points (or symbols) that represents the distance of the person's throw. so above each person's name, i would see a column of identical symbols representing the distance of each throw.

i tried doing this, by putting the names of the three people in a column in A1:A3, and the distances of A1's throw in a column in B1:B10, and distances of A2's throw in C1:C10, and so on... and what i got when graphing it in the "line graph" mode was having A1's data (B1:B10) spread out.. i.e. not in a column of points over A1's name on the X-axis. any idea how i can graph this the way i want to? i tried using Delta graph and cricket graph programs and got the same thing as excel. the computer guys at work dont think excel is capable of making this type of graph... so is it possible and if so how can i do it?

here is one more twist to my scenario.... jim and bob throw 10 stones and get 10 data points as before... but paul has now 2 sets of data. 1 set of data would be (pre-injection with steroids) and the 2nd set of data would be (post-injection with steroids), and in the graph i'd like to have jim and bob have the usual data points above their names, and for paul (2 columns or categories - pre and post injection)also have a set of data points for both conditions (pre/post steroids) BUT i'd like to have a line connecting the data points of the 1st throw of Pre and post data points and a line connecting the 2nd throw of pre and post data points and so on... so this graph would have a mixture of just points and points with lines connecting them. is this graph possible with excel??

i've been trying to figure this out for 2 days... and i'm losing my head!

thanks!

Von Pookie · May 17th, 2002, 09:48 AM

Quote:

On 2002-05-17 08:07, Steppenwolf wrote:
i tried doing this, by putting the names of the three people in a column in A1:A3, and the distances of A1's throw in a column in B1:B10, and distances of A2's throw in C1:C10, and so on... and what i got when graphing it in the "line graph" mode was having A1's data (B1:B10) spread out.. i.e. not in a column of points over A1's name on the X-axis. any idea how i can graph this the way i want to?

Just a question about the way you have this set up. If the cell ranges you quoted above are correct, I think this could be a big part of your problem.

Try putting the 3 names in A1:C1, and then all 10 data points for the person in A1 underneath in cells A2:A11, and so on.

Hope this helps,

Steppenwolf · May 17th, 2002, 11:13 AM

i tried that kristy....
when i do that and choose the line graph, i do get the data points in a column just the way i want it, but each point above a person's name is part of a different data series....i.e. they are not the same symbol. i want the data points above a person's name to be the same series... have the same symbol and color.

any other suggestions?

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

May 17th, 2002, 09:07 AM	#1
Steppenwolf New Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 2	here is a simple graphing problem for you excel experts... not even the computer guys at work could help me out. here is a hypothetical scenario that is analagous to what i'm trying to do... there are 3 people, jim, bob, and paul, and they each throw stones and measure the distance of each throw. Jim throws 10 times and thus has 10 measurements. bob throws 10 times, with 10 measurements. paul throws 8 times, with 8 measurements. now i want to graph this data, where on the y-axis would be distance, and the x-axis three columns or categories with the names of the three guys - jim, bob, and paul. above each person's name, i want points (or symbols) that represents the distance of the person's throw. so above each person's name, i would see a column of identical symbols representing the distance of each throw. i tried doing this, by putting the names of the three people in a column in A1:A3, and the distances of A1's throw in a column in B1:B10, and distances of A2's throw in C1:C10, and so on... and what i got when graphing it in the "line graph" mode was having A1's data (B1:B10) spread out.. i.e. not in a column of points over A1's name on the X-axis. any idea how i can graph this the way i want to? i tried using Delta graph and cricket graph programs and got the same thing as excel. the computer guys at work dont think excel is capable of making this type of graph... so is it possible and if so how can i do it? here is one more twist to my scenario.... jim and bob throw 10 stones and get 10 data points as before... but paul has now 2 sets of data. 1 set of data would be (pre-injection with steroids) and the 2nd set of data would be (post-injection with steroids), and in the graph i'd like to have jim and bob have the usual data points above their names, and for paul (2 columns or categories - pre and post injection)also have a set of data points for both conditions (pre/post steroids) BUT i'd like to have a line connecting the data points of the 1st throw of Pre and post data points and a line connecting the 2nd throw of pre and post data points and so on... so this graph would have a mixture of just points and points with lines connecting them. is this graph possible with excel?? i've been trying to figure this out for 2 days... and i'm losing my head! thanks!

May 17th, 2002, 11:13 AM	#3
Steppenwolf New Member Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 2	i tried that kristy.... when i do that and choose the line graph, i do get the data points in a column just the way i want it, but each point above a person's name is part of a different data series....i.e. they are not the same symbol. i want the data points above a person's name to be the same series... have the same symbol and color. any other suggestions?