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HHS Science: Creating a Graph using Google Docs

Hempfield High School Science Grades 9-12

Creating a Line Graph

Directions for Graphing in Google Docs

  1. Input your data in a spreadsheet.  (x-axis data must be to the left of the y-axis data)
  2. Highlight your data.
  3. Go to the insert menu and select chart.
  4. Don’t take any of the recommended charts.  Click on more, then from the options on the left choose Scatter.
  5. After you have chosen Scatter, click on the upper diagram (Scatter chart, the lower diagram is a bubble chart)
  6. Click the customize tab.  This allows you input the chart and axis titles.
  7. After typing a chart title and formatting the horizontal axis, select left vertical from the axis pull down menu.  Format this axis.
  8. Click the insert button to finish the graph off and return to the spreadsheet.
  9. To get the graph into the actual lab report, take a screen capture of the graph and insert the image into the document.
  10. Mac- To take a screen capture, hold down shift, command, and tap the number 4 key.  This brings up a set of crosshairs.  Click on the upper left corner of the region you want to capture and drag so the box includes the entire region.  When you let go of the crosshairs it will take a picture and put in on the desktop of your computer.  It will either be called screenshot or picture, depending on what Mac operating system you are using.
  11. PC- Hit the print screen button and paste this from the clipboard into the document.