Box plots are used to visualize the five essential descriptive statistics of a dataset, namely:
- The minimum
- The first quartile
- The median
- The third quartile
- The maximum
In this article, I will show you how to create a box plot with Google Sheets.
Example: Box Plots with Google Sheets
Follow these steps to create a box plot with Google Sheets.
Step 1: Enter the data
Start by entering the values of your dataset into a column:
Step 2: Calculate the five descriptive statistics
To create a box plot, we typically need to know the median of the dataset. However, Google Sheets does not have a box plot option. So, we will use a candlestick chart to achieve a similar result.
To create a candlestick chart, we only need to know the minimum, first quartile, third quartile, and maximum of a dataset. The following image shows the formulas to calculate these statistics:
Step 3: Create the box plot
Next, select the values from columns A to E in the first row:
Click on the “Insert” tab at the top of the screen, then click on “Chart” in the drop-down menu:
In the graph editor window that appears on the right side of the screen, click on the “Chart type” drop-down menu, then select “Candlestick chart”:
Once you have done that, the following chart will appear:
Here’s how to interpret the diagram:
- The upper line extends to the maximum value of the dataset (28)
- The top of the box represents the value of the third quartile (22)
- The bottom of the box represents the value of the first quartile (7.5)
- The lower line extends to the minimum value of the dataset (4)
You can also customize your chart in the “Customize” section of the graph editor by modifying the titles, adjusting gridlines, and changing axis labels.
To learn more about other commonly used chart types in Google Sheets, visit Crawlan.com.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to create a box plot with Google Sheets, you can use this visualization to better understand the descriptive statistics of your data. Have fun!
