Part 6 - Create a Variation Diagram

In any step, click the 'Show me' link to reveal extra information. A sequence of 'Show me's indicates a series of steps. If you prefer a printout of the full set of instructions for this part, choose Print from the File menu.

These instructions will walk you through the basics of X-Y plotting in Excel, using a plot of SiO2 vs. MgO as an example. If you are already familiar with how to do this, skip ahead to Part 7.

Step 1 - Select Data and Open the Chart Wizard

Step 2 - Select the Chart Type

Select the graph type X-Y (Scatter). Click Next.

Step 3 - Label the Crater Lake series

Choose the Series page, and label the Crater Lake series as Crater Lake. Click Next.

Step 4 - Add the Yellowstone series to the graph

Step 5 - Label the Axes

Enter 'SiO2 (wt.%)' for the Value (X) axis and 'MgO (wt.%)' for the Value (Y) axis. Click Next.

Step 6 - Remove those unsightly gridlines

Choose Gridlines, and remove the major gridlines along the Y-axis. Click Finish.

Step 7- Modify the Graph for Easier Reading

Re-size the graph to an appropriate size. Change the fonts for the axes and legend titles so that they are readable for the new graph size. Rescale the axes to fit the range of the data.