Density graphs are a good choice for visually displaying the results of the density equation "density = mass/volume." Results display as a linear plot, with mass on the y-axis and volume on the x. Creating a density graph in Microsoft Excel is not difficult, but does require more than just a few steps to complete the equation and plot the graph correctly. Start by entering density equation values into two columns of an Excel spreadsheet, with Y values in the column on the left and X values in the column on the right, and then create and format the density graph.
Step 1
Select the two Excel spreadsheet columns that contain density graph data, and then click the "Insert" tab on the Excel main menu.
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Step 2
Set the Excel graph to a "Scatter with only Markers" type by selecting this option from the drop-down menu on the "Charts: Scatter" section of the Excel Ribbon menu. This is the best option for a density graph, not only because you are comparing pairs of values, but also because each pair represents a separate measurement.
Step 3
Right-click anywhere on the graph, and choose "Select Data" from the resulting pop-up window. The "Select Data Source" window will open, and "Series 1" will appear as the only entry in the Legend Series column on the left.
Step 4
Click the Series 1 entry, and then click the Edit button to close the "Select Data Source" window, open the "Edit Series" window, and enable Chart Tools on the Excel Ribbon. Verify that mass data is on the y-axis and volume data is on the x-axis.
Step 5
Locate and open the set of Chart Layout types -- the third section from the left on the Ribbon -- by clicking the down-arrow button. Select Layout 9.
Step 6
Double-click on the Chart Title to change the default title to one that is more appropriate. Click on and change the vertical y-axis title to Mass (g) and the horizontal x-axis title to Volume (ml), substituting units of measurement if yours are something other than grams and milliliters.
Step 7
Draw a straight line -- called a trendline -- through the data by right-clicking on any data point and selecting "Add Trendline" from the resulting pop-up box.
Step 8
Select "Linear Regression," check the Set Intercept box, and set the intercept to zero. This action will ensure the trendline is the best fit for your data. By default, Excel will display the equation you are working with on the graph as well as its R2 value. Uncheck these boxes if you do not want to display this information.
Step 9
Make final adjustments to your density graph, using "Format Axis" and "Format Size" options. These allow you to change line thickness and color, and increase the size of the graph.
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