"Charts typically have two axes that are used to measure and categorize data: a vertical axis (also known as value axis or y axis), and a horizontal axis (also known as category axis or x axis)."¹
¹from support.office.com
Q: What's the difference between a bar chart and a histogram?
A: Bar charts are used to compare variables by category. There is white space between each bar and typically are the same width. The bars in this type of chart can be reordered, usually by alphabetizing category name or by size, and the bars represent length.
Histograms are used to show distributions of the data, and that data are grouped into intervals. Bars are also used to plot data on this type of chart, but notice that there is no white space between each bar. That's because there is no gap between intervals. Time or percentages are examples of intervals.
Column chart: Works with all data types
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Bar chart: Like a column chart except turned on its side.
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Histogram: Used to show distributions of variables
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Line chart: Use to show trends over time
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Pie chart: Use to show proportions
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Area chart: Similar to a line chart except that the area under the line is filled in.
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1. Type your data set into Excel using the example below.
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2. Select the range of data you want to appear on your chart.
Note: Range is a collection of two or more cells. Using the example above, the range for this data set is A1: B5. To select this range, click on cell A1 and drag it to cell B5.
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3. If using a PC: On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, choose Bar, and select Clustered Bar.
If using a Mac: Click on the Chart tab.
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4. Use the formatting options to add a chart title, a title for the x and y axes, a legend, and data labels.