Which chart type in Excel is used to display changes in data over time?

A line chart is the most appropriate chart type for displaying changes in data over a continuous period. It plots data points at regular intervals (such as days, months, or years) and connects them with a line, which effectively illustrates trends, accelerations, or decelerations in a time series. The horizontal axis (category axis) is used to represent the progression of time, while the vertical axis (value axis) represents the measured quantity, making it ideal for visualizing performance or change over time.

A. Bar Chart: Primarily used for comparing values across discrete categories, not for showing continuous trends over time.

C. Pie Chart: Represents the proportions of a whole at a single point in time and cannot display data changes over a period.

D. Scatter Chart: Used to show the relationship and correlation between two different sets of numerical data, not specifically for tracking a single value's trend over time.

1. Microsoft Corporation. (n.d.). Available chart types in Office. Microsoft Support. Retrieved from support.microsoft.com. In the "Line charts" section

it states

"Line charts can display continuous data over time

set against a common scale

and are therefore ideal for showing trends in data at equal intervals."

2. MIT Libraries. (2024). Data Visualization: Chart Types & When to Use Them. In the "Line Chart" section

the primary use case is described as: "Use to show time-series data (how a variable changes over time)."

3. Duke University Libraries. (n.d.). Data Visualization: Chart Chooser. The guide recommends a "Line Chart" for visualizing "Data over time" and describes its purpose as showing "trends and changes in data over a period of time."