Q. I need help setting up a chart in Excel based on my data.

Actually the easiest way to teach yourself how to create an Excel chart is to use PowerPoint.  PowerPoint has a function helping you to create and manipulate an Excel chart which is displayed on a slide.  Basically an Excel file opens up beside the chart in the slide.  Manipulating the data in the Excel file will change the format of the chart.  You can easily see how the data needs to be set up to create a particular chart format.

1.  Start a session of PowerPoint.  Choose a “Blank” slide from “Layout.”

2.  Choose “Insert” and then “Chart.”  Choose the chart style in which you think you would like your data to be displayed.

3.  PowerPoint will open up a temporary Excel worksheet, including sample data.  PowerPoint will create a chart based on the Excel sample data.

4.  You can manipulate the sample data in Excel and use the “Chart Tools” in PowerPoint to create a chart which properly displays your data.

5.  If you prefer the PowerPoint environment to that of Excel, you can copy and paste data into the Excel worksheet – one set of data per chart slide.  Saving the PowerPoint session will retain the chart slide and the temporary Excel Worksheet.    

6.  PowerPoint chart slides can be further beautified by using Chart tools to add titles, etc.  You can copy the data from this temporary worksheet to Excel and then create a chart in Excel.  The chart can also be copied from the PowerPoint slide and pasted into Word.