How to make a simple graph

Question

Level 1

29 points

How to make a simple graph

This is my first use of Numbers. I made a chart to list equipment for my insurance company. Pretty easy, but I would like to make a graph that shows me the percentage of equipment cost for each of the 5 categories. Here's what I have:
Column A: Quantity
(then I list manufacturer, item name, serial number)
Column D is Category
Column E is Item Cost

How can I build a graph that shows the total cost for each category? I bet this is easy.... but it eludes me!

Thanks!

MacBook Pro, 17in, Mac OS X (10.5.7), Also MacPro and a few MacBooks

Posted on Jul 15, 2009 11:01 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 16, 2009 8:32 AM in response to Rand Larson1

Rand,

Yes, you can. Let's get the terminology down first. Your data is entered into Cells. Your Cells make up a Table. A graphical representation of data or calculations in your Table is called a Chart.

You can fill column F, or any blank column in that Table, in your Table with: =A*E to get the extended item value. To chart the relative extended values, select them and then Insert > Chart > Pie Chart. The Chart will be in relative percentages for each item, by default.

Regards,

Jerry

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Answer 2

Rand Larson1 Author

Level 1

29 points

Jul 16, 2009 10:30 AM in response to Jerrold Green1

Wow, thank you very much for your reply! I think that what you describe is what I did to the the column for the replacement cost for the items. I had =A*F to put the extended cost for each item where A=Quantity and F=Item Cost and G=A*F (total replacement cost). That worked very well to do the math for me.

But where I'm stuck, and it may be the terminology confusing me is my column E for Category. All of my items are broken up into one of 4 categories. I would like to get the total cost (column G) broken down by the categories in column E. I wonder if this makes sense.

If I select column E (Category) and choose a chart, it breaks things up by column A which is the quantity. I'm wondering if I were to make column A the category it would automatically break things down by category then. I wish I could post a screen shot. Maybe you understand my verbal description?
Thanks!

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Answer 3

Badunit

Level 7

30,708 points

Jul 16, 2009 11:22 AM in response to Rand Larson1

Now that you have the column with the "total replacement cost", create another table that lists your categories in column A and uses a SUMIF formula to sum up all the costs for each category. A good place to look to see how this is done is the checking register template. Look at the formulas in the table in the top right corner of that template. You then create your pie chart from this second table (like in the checking register template).

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