Help with Creating An Excel Line Graph

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of an excel spreadsheet to track the progress of repaying a loan from the speaker's mother and brother. The speaker created a data table and a corresponding line graph to visualize their progress. However, they noticed redundant dates in the data table and decided to trim them to create a more compact table. This resulted in a different graph, which the speaker is seeking explanation for. The reason for the difference is the missing dates immediately before a repayment, causing a change in the slope of the graph. Adding a row for each day before a repayment can fix this issue.
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I'm trying to graph and accurately visualize some data on Microsoft Excel via charting but I'm having a hard time.
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Hi, just some backstory: My mom and my brother Rob, both loaned me some money in August 2020. They each loaned me $1000.00. I decided to use excel spreadsheet to keep track of my progress paying them both back.

Okay so here is the data table I created; as you can see the progression of the date column is DATE + 1. When I make a payment towards either party i record the amount under the appropriate Payments column. The adjacent Remaining field gets subtracted by the amount just entered. Here see for yourself.

table1.1.JPG

table1.2.JPG
And from this data, here is a line graph showing my paying down debt.

graph1.1.JPG


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But notice in the above data table, there's a lot of redundant rows (dates); dates during which nothing happened. I decided to trim these dates/rows and created (what I thought to be..) just a more compact but an equivalent table with the same amount of data.Here is the new table I created:
table2.1.JPG

And here is the corresponding graph:

graph2.1.JPG
The second data table is just more compact, that's it.
Yet if you look at the two graphs side by side they look quite different. I've made sure the two graphs' settings are all identical, so I'm at a loss.

graph1&2.JPG


If someone can offer an explanation as to why graph 2 is plotting the SAME data, differently, please do tell!Any helpful input is appreciated, Thanks!
 
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You are missing the dates immediately before you repay something.

The original graph had a data point for 2020-08-27 at $1100, guaranteeing a straight line up to that day. The second graph is missing that, so Excel draws a slope from the $1100 at the starting point to $1050 at 2020-08-28.

The easiest way to fix that is to add a row each day before you pay something back.
 
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FAQ: Help with Creating An Excel Line Graph

1. How do I create a line graph in Excel?

To create a line graph in Excel, first select the data that you want to plot. Then go to the Insert tab and click on the "Line" chart option. Select the type of line graph you want to create and your graph will be generated.

2. How do I add data to an existing line graph in Excel?

To add data to an existing line graph in Excel, simply right-click on the graph and select "Select Data". Then click on "Add" and enter the new data in the appropriate cells. Click "OK" and the data will be added to your graph.

3. How can I change the appearance of my line graph in Excel?

To change the appearance of your line graph in Excel, right-click on the graph and select "Format Chart Area". From there, you can make changes to the chart's colors, fonts, and other visual elements to customize its appearance.

4. How do I add a trendline to my line graph in Excel?

To add a trendline to your line graph in Excel, right-click on the graph and select "Add Trendline". Choose the type of trendline you want, such as linear or exponential, and click "OK". The trendline will be added to your graph.

5. Can I create a line graph from non-numeric data in Excel?

Yes, you can create a line graph from non-numeric data in Excel. However, the non-numeric data will need to be converted into numerical values before it can be plotted on the graph. This can be done by using functions such as "SUM" or "AVERAGE" to calculate numerical values from the non-numeric data.

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