How to Add a Second Y Axis to a Graph in Microsoft Excel
Part 1 of 2:
Adding a Second Y Axis
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Create a spreadsheet with your data. Each data point should be contained in an individual cell with rows and columns that are labeled. -
Select the data you want to graph. Click and drag to highlight all the data you want to graph. Be sure to include all data points and the labels.- If you don't want to graph the entire spreadsheet, you can select multiple cells by holding Ctrl and clicking the cells you want to graph.
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Click Insert. It's in the menu bar at the top of the page. This displays the Insert panel at the top. -
Click the icon that resembles a chart type you want to create. This generates a chart based on the selected data.- You can also add a second axis to a line graph or a bar graph.
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Double-click the line you want to graph on a second axis. Clicking the line once highlights each individual data point on the line. Double-clicking it displays the "Format Data Point" menu to the right.[1] -
Click the icon that resembles a bar chart. This is the "Series Options" icon. It's at the top of the Format Data Point menu to the right. -
Select the radio button for "Secondary Axis". It's below "Series Options" in the Format Data Point menu. This immediately displays the line on a secondary axis with the numbers on the right side.
Part 2 of 2:
Changing the Chart Type of the Secondary Axis
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Right-click the chart. The chart is in the middle of the Excel spreadsheet. This displays a menu next to the line in the chart. -
Click Change Series Chart Type. This displays a window that allows you to edit the chart. -
Click the checkbox next to any other lines you want to add to the Y-axis. To add other lines to the Y-axis, click the checkbox below "Y-axis" to the right of the data series in the lower-right corner of the window. -
Select the type of chart for each data series. In addition to graphing a data series on a separate Y-axis, you can also graph it on a different chart type. Use the drop-down menu to select the chart type for each data series in the lower-right corner of the window. -
Click Ok. This saves the changes you made to the chart.- If you want to change the chart type for the entire chart, click the chart type in the menu to the left of the window and then double-click the chart style in the window.
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