Line chart

tom.harrington

Line charts are a series of data points connected by straight lines, on two axes. Dimensions, such as time, are displayed on the horizontal X-axis, and the dependent data is displayed on the vertical Y-axis. One data set is always dependent on the other set.

 

To learn how to add a line chart to a board or worksheet, see 'Add cards to a board' and 'Add cards to a worksheet'.

 

 

Line charts are especially useful when used as part of a combination chart, as they don't obstruct the view of other data on your chart.

 

What can I use line charts for?

Line charts are used to display several dependent variables, such as the sales results of different regions, against one independent variable, such as time. This enables you to easily see spikes and troughs in a continuous data set.

 

Line charts are particularly good for emphasizing trends over time as the rate of change is often clearer in a line chart than in other types of chart that provide a snapshot at a given point in time. If your interest is in individual values rather than trends, a different type of chart or grid may be better for your data.

 

You can use a line chart to answer the question:

• What are the fluctuations in X?

• How does A differ from Y?

• Is X related to A?

• How is X affecting Y?

• Have sales increased over the last financial year?

Some drawbacks of using a line chart:

• They are ineffective at conveying proportions or quantitative data.

• Using too many categories can make them difficult to read.

• If your dimension doesn't have data over a long time period, it can falsely imply an ongoing trend.

Use a different type of chart if:

• your interest is in individual values rather than trends (Use a bar, column or dot chart).
• you have a large number of categories (use a combination chart or dot chart)

To learn about other types of chart, see Chart types in detail.