It can be very useful to visualize the trend of multiple data sets within a single Microsoft Excel chart. However, if the data uses different units you may think that you cannot display them on a single graph. It's actually possible and it's quite simple too. This article explains how to insert a second Y axis inside a Microsoft Excel chart.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Adding a Second Y Axis
Step 1. Create a worksheet in which to enter the data to be displayed graphically
Each data to be displayed on the chart must be stored in a single cell of the sheet and have a label for the column and one for the row.
Step 2. Select the data range to be displayed graphically
Click on the first cell of the set of values, then drag the mouse pointer to the last (while holding down the left button). Make sure that all data to be included in the chart and their respective labels are included.
If you do not need to select all the cells of the sheet, you can make a multiple selection of non-contiguous elements by holding down the Ctrl key while clicking on the individual cells to be inserted in the selection and then in the chart
Step 3. Click on the Insert tab
It is one of the Excel ribbon tabs located at the top of the window. The corresponding toolbar will be displayed.
Step 4. Click the icon corresponding to the type of chart you want to create
This will automatically generate a chart based on the selected data range.
You can add a second axis within a line or bar chart
Step 5. Double click on the graphical representation (line or bar) of the dataset you want to plot on the second axis
By clicking once on the line or bar in question, all its points will be automatically selected. Double clicking on the element of the chart in question will display the context menu "Format data series" on the right of the program window.
Step 6. Click on the "Series Options" icon featuring a stylized bar graph
It is displayed at the top of the "Format Data Series" menu.
Step 7. Select the "Secondary Axis" radio button
It is displayed within the "Series Options" section of the "Data Series Format" menu. The selected data series will immediately appear on a secondary axis with the values shown on the right side.
Part 2 of 2: Change the Secondary Axis Graph Type
Step 1. Select the graph with the right mouse button
It is displayed in the center of the Excel sheet. A context menu will appear along the line displayed in the graph.
Step 2. Click the Change Series Chart Type option
A dialog will appear that will allow you to edit the chart.
Step 3. Click the check button next to any other lines you want to add on the secondary Y-axis of the chart
To add another data series to the secondary Y axis, click the check button displayed in the "Secondary Axis" column next to the series you want to select.
Step 4. Select the chart type for each of the series present
In addition to being able to graph a data series on a separate Y axis, you can also change the type of graph to use. In this case, access the drop-down menu displayed in the "Chart type" column of the table and relative to each data series in order to select the chart to display.
Step 5. Click the OK button
All changes to the chart configuration will be saved and applied.
