WGU D388 Creating Charts in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide for
Beginners|Solution Guide 2025 Update Complete.
Lesson 1.1 How business and industry Use Excel
Microsoft first released Excel in the 1980s.
- Healthcare
- Shipping and logistics
- Manufacturing
- Retail Sales
- Construction
- Financial Services
- Consultants
- Event Management
- Travel
- Cybersecurity
Common uses of excel
- Data entry and storage
- Accounting and Budgeting
- Data Analysis
- Forecasting
- Reporting
Summary
- Managers from various industries use Excel to complete innumerable tasks.
- Managers use a variety of tools in Excel to accomplish business activities.
- Excel is used extensively worldwide because of its availability on the internet and the
free online version of the application.
- Excel is designed with inclusivity in mind, and its features make it available and usable
for all individuals, regardless of location, education, and physical differences.
- Excel supports over 100 different languages.
- Cloud storage has made it easier for managers to keep track of important info
Lesson 2.1 Terminology
Workbook- is an Excel file that stores all the information, previous calculations, and analyses
that you may have already completed.
Worksheet- contains the data you are examining. A worksheet will also include the analyses you
have done on this data.
Cell- A small box that stores the individual pieces of data or calculations in a worksheet.
Value- The content in a cell
Column- A stack of cells arranged vertically from top to bottom of the worksheet
Row- A collection of cells arranged horizontally from left to right on the worksheet
Function- Complex calculations are generally performed using a built-in function. Excel contains
dozens of functions that simplify data analysis in a worksheet.
,An Excel worksheet can contain up to 17 billion cells made up of 16,384 columns and 1,048,576
rows.
Lesson 2.2 Navigating the toolbar
● The File menu is used to manipulate workbooks. Options in this group allow you to
create a new workbook or open an existing workbook. Other options allow you to
save, print, and share the workbook currently open in Excel.
● The Home menu includes items used in formatting the appearance of data in cells.
The items include changing how data in the cells of the worksheet appear (such as
text color and size) and changing the appearance of the cells (such as the
background color or the borders of the cells).
● The Insert menu includes features that create specialized elements in workbooks,
such as charts, pictures, and shapes. The Insert menu also contains the option to
install Office Add-ins, like the MyEducator Add-in used to complete the hands-on
exercises that accompany this resource.
● The Draw menu items are used to create and insert freehand sketches into
worksheets.
● The Page Layout menu items are used to format the appearance of worksheets
when they are printed, such as whether they are printed in landscape or portrait
orientation.
● The Formulas menu items aid in performing calculations using Excel’s built-in
functions.
● The Data menu is used to aid in importing data from an external data source.
Items in this area are also used to manipulate data already in the worksheet, such
as sorting and filtering rows of a block of data.
● The Review menu items help in sharing an Excel workbook with colleagues. The
Review menu items allow you to track changes in a workbook and share
comments with collaborators.
● The View menu items are used to change how a worksheet is displayed on the
screen. Items in this menu group allow the user to zoom in and out of the
spreadsheet window, show or hide the column letters and row numbers, and
freeze elements of the worksheet in place when scrolling around the page.
● The Help menu items are used to obtain assistance with the features of Excel.
Items in this group allow the user to access Excel’s help pages, contact customer
support, leave feedback on Excel, and view a list of keyboard shortcuts.
File Menu Overview
Home
○ Create a new workbook.
○ Create a new workbook from a recently used template.
○ Open recently used files.
New
, ○ Create a new workbook from scratch.
○ Select and use available Excel templates.
○ Templates often include pre-designed data, formatting, and calculations.
Open
○ Open a different workbook in Excel.
○ Access recently used workbooks saved on OneDrive.
○ Use "View More Files" to access all OneDrive files.
Info
○ Open the current workbook in the desktop version of Excel for Windows or Mac.
○ Access and manage prior versions of the current workbook.
Save As
○ Save the workbook to OneDrive or another location using the Browse button.
○ Create a new folder to store files.
○ Save the current workbook as a different file type or a copy of it in a different
format.
Print
○ Select the correct printer.
○ Adjust printer settings and functions.
○ Send the worksheet to the printer.
Share
○ Share the workbook with colleagues for collaborative work.
○ Embed the workbook in a website.
Options
○ Change regional settings in Excel.
○ Customize how dates, currency, and formulas are handled.
About- View legal notices about Excel, including the privacy policy.
View Tab Overview
Zoom Group
○ Adjust how much of the worksheet is displayed in the active window.
○ Higher zoom levels show fewer spreadsheet elements but make them larger.
Window Group
○ Manage windows (views) of the current workbook.
○ Open multiple windows to view and work on different worksheets
simultaneously.
○ Useful for large or complex spreadsheets.
Pane Group
○ Control the visible area of a worksheet on the screen.
, ○ Keep specific areas (e.g., column headers) fixed and visible while navigating
through the worksheet.
○ Useful for maintaining context with data descriptions while scrolling.
Show Group
○ Toggle the visibility of gridlines around worksheet cells.
○ Show or hide column letters and row numbers.
Other
● the title bar, which is used to clearly note which spreadsheet file is being
manipulated
● the toolbar, which provide the user with quick access to tools commonly
associated with the tasks being performed
● the formula bar, which allows the user to quickly add to or edit the contents of a
cell
● the Insert Function icon, which users can click on to select built-in calculations that
can be applied to data without requiring the user to define them
Lesson 2.3 Formatting
Formatting- Changing the appearance of the data and cells in a worksheet is called
Range- a consecutive block of cells arranged in a row, a column, or a combination of both.
For example, the range reference A2:C2 refers to cells A2, B2, and C2, while the reference
B1:B4 refers to cells B1, B2, B3, and B4.
The Font Group - contains menu items that change the appearance of the text in the cells.
Font Face- The style or design of the numbers or letters
Font Sizes- The menu list allows you to define the text size in the cells specifically.
Header- often appears as the top cell in a column of data and is used to describe the rest of
the data.
Appearance of the cells- You can change the background color of a cell (or range of cells) by
selecting the cells and choosing a background color from the Colors menu list in the Font
group of the Home menu tab
Number Group-
Common data types in Excel include
● Number: Used to define any type of number and can be configured to display the
number in standardized ways, such as with a fixed number of decimal places.
● Currency: Used to define a number as money; currency values will be displayed
with a monetary symbol (such as a dollar sign) appropriate for the currency
described and two decimal places. Currency data can be configured to highlight
negative numbers in specific ways (such as using a red font).
● Accounting: Used to define a number as money; the accounting data type has
fewer options than the currency type. The accounting data type displays data with
a currency symbol and two decimal places.
● Date: Used to display the number in a cell as a date; the date data type has several
display options, such as “12/18/1973” or “Tuesday, December 18, 1973.”
Beginners|Solution Guide 2025 Update Complete.
Lesson 1.1 How business and industry Use Excel
Microsoft first released Excel in the 1980s.
- Healthcare
- Shipping and logistics
- Manufacturing
- Retail Sales
- Construction
- Financial Services
- Consultants
- Event Management
- Travel
- Cybersecurity
Common uses of excel
- Data entry and storage
- Accounting and Budgeting
- Data Analysis
- Forecasting
- Reporting
Summary
- Managers from various industries use Excel to complete innumerable tasks.
- Managers use a variety of tools in Excel to accomplish business activities.
- Excel is used extensively worldwide because of its availability on the internet and the
free online version of the application.
- Excel is designed with inclusivity in mind, and its features make it available and usable
for all individuals, regardless of location, education, and physical differences.
- Excel supports over 100 different languages.
- Cloud storage has made it easier for managers to keep track of important info
Lesson 2.1 Terminology
Workbook- is an Excel file that stores all the information, previous calculations, and analyses
that you may have already completed.
Worksheet- contains the data you are examining. A worksheet will also include the analyses you
have done on this data.
Cell- A small box that stores the individual pieces of data or calculations in a worksheet.
Value- The content in a cell
Column- A stack of cells arranged vertically from top to bottom of the worksheet
Row- A collection of cells arranged horizontally from left to right on the worksheet
Function- Complex calculations are generally performed using a built-in function. Excel contains
dozens of functions that simplify data analysis in a worksheet.
,An Excel worksheet can contain up to 17 billion cells made up of 16,384 columns and 1,048,576
rows.
Lesson 2.2 Navigating the toolbar
● The File menu is used to manipulate workbooks. Options in this group allow you to
create a new workbook or open an existing workbook. Other options allow you to
save, print, and share the workbook currently open in Excel.
● The Home menu includes items used in formatting the appearance of data in cells.
The items include changing how data in the cells of the worksheet appear (such as
text color and size) and changing the appearance of the cells (such as the
background color or the borders of the cells).
● The Insert menu includes features that create specialized elements in workbooks,
such as charts, pictures, and shapes. The Insert menu also contains the option to
install Office Add-ins, like the MyEducator Add-in used to complete the hands-on
exercises that accompany this resource.
● The Draw menu items are used to create and insert freehand sketches into
worksheets.
● The Page Layout menu items are used to format the appearance of worksheets
when they are printed, such as whether they are printed in landscape or portrait
orientation.
● The Formulas menu items aid in performing calculations using Excel’s built-in
functions.
● The Data menu is used to aid in importing data from an external data source.
Items in this area are also used to manipulate data already in the worksheet, such
as sorting and filtering rows of a block of data.
● The Review menu items help in sharing an Excel workbook with colleagues. The
Review menu items allow you to track changes in a workbook and share
comments with collaborators.
● The View menu items are used to change how a worksheet is displayed on the
screen. Items in this menu group allow the user to zoom in and out of the
spreadsheet window, show or hide the column letters and row numbers, and
freeze elements of the worksheet in place when scrolling around the page.
● The Help menu items are used to obtain assistance with the features of Excel.
Items in this group allow the user to access Excel’s help pages, contact customer
support, leave feedback on Excel, and view a list of keyboard shortcuts.
File Menu Overview
Home
○ Create a new workbook.
○ Create a new workbook from a recently used template.
○ Open recently used files.
New
, ○ Create a new workbook from scratch.
○ Select and use available Excel templates.
○ Templates often include pre-designed data, formatting, and calculations.
Open
○ Open a different workbook in Excel.
○ Access recently used workbooks saved on OneDrive.
○ Use "View More Files" to access all OneDrive files.
Info
○ Open the current workbook in the desktop version of Excel for Windows or Mac.
○ Access and manage prior versions of the current workbook.
Save As
○ Save the workbook to OneDrive or another location using the Browse button.
○ Create a new folder to store files.
○ Save the current workbook as a different file type or a copy of it in a different
format.
○ Select the correct printer.
○ Adjust printer settings and functions.
○ Send the worksheet to the printer.
Share
○ Share the workbook with colleagues for collaborative work.
○ Embed the workbook in a website.
Options
○ Change regional settings in Excel.
○ Customize how dates, currency, and formulas are handled.
About- View legal notices about Excel, including the privacy policy.
View Tab Overview
Zoom Group
○ Adjust how much of the worksheet is displayed in the active window.
○ Higher zoom levels show fewer spreadsheet elements but make them larger.
Window Group
○ Manage windows (views) of the current workbook.
○ Open multiple windows to view and work on different worksheets
simultaneously.
○ Useful for large or complex spreadsheets.
Pane Group
○ Control the visible area of a worksheet on the screen.
, ○ Keep specific areas (e.g., column headers) fixed and visible while navigating
through the worksheet.
○ Useful for maintaining context with data descriptions while scrolling.
Show Group
○ Toggle the visibility of gridlines around worksheet cells.
○ Show or hide column letters and row numbers.
Other
● the title bar, which is used to clearly note which spreadsheet file is being
manipulated
● the toolbar, which provide the user with quick access to tools commonly
associated with the tasks being performed
● the formula bar, which allows the user to quickly add to or edit the contents of a
cell
● the Insert Function icon, which users can click on to select built-in calculations that
can be applied to data without requiring the user to define them
Lesson 2.3 Formatting
Formatting- Changing the appearance of the data and cells in a worksheet is called
Range- a consecutive block of cells arranged in a row, a column, or a combination of both.
For example, the range reference A2:C2 refers to cells A2, B2, and C2, while the reference
B1:B4 refers to cells B1, B2, B3, and B4.
The Font Group - contains menu items that change the appearance of the text in the cells.
Font Face- The style or design of the numbers or letters
Font Sizes- The menu list allows you to define the text size in the cells specifically.
Header- often appears as the top cell in a column of data and is used to describe the rest of
the data.
Appearance of the cells- You can change the background color of a cell (or range of cells) by
selecting the cells and choosing a background color from the Colors menu list in the Font
group of the Home menu tab
Number Group-
Common data types in Excel include
● Number: Used to define any type of number and can be configured to display the
number in standardized ways, such as with a fixed number of decimal places.
● Currency: Used to define a number as money; currency values will be displayed
with a monetary symbol (such as a dollar sign) appropriate for the currency
described and two decimal places. Currency data can be configured to highlight
negative numbers in specific ways (such as using a red font).
● Accounting: Used to define a number as money; the accounting data type has
fewer options than the currency type. The accounting data type displays data with
a currency symbol and two decimal places.
● Date: Used to display the number in a cell as a date; the date data type has several
display options, such as “12/18/1973” or “Tuesday, December 18, 1973.”
