Table 13-2 lists the parts of a typical graph.
Part of graph |
What it is |
---|---|
Title |
An optional title for the graph. The title appears at the top of the graph. |
Value axis |
The axis of the graph along which the values of the dependent variable(s) are plotted. In a column graph, as shown in the preceding graph, the Value axis corresponds to the y axis in an XY presentation. In other types of graphs, such as a bar graph, the Value axis can be along the x dimension. |
Category axis |
The axis along which are plotted the major divisions of the data, representing the independent variable(s). In the preceding graph, the Category axis corresponds to the x axis. It plots four categories: Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. These form the major divisions of data in the graph. |
Series |
A set of data points. There are three series in the preceding graph: Stellar, Cosmic, and Galactic. In bar and column charts, each series is represented by bars or columns of one color or pattern. |
Series axis |
The axis along which the series are plotted in three-dimensional (3D) graphs. |
Legend |
An optional listing of the series. The preceding graph contains a legend that shows how each series is represented in the graph. |