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To create a plot in Excel that displays time over multiple days, follow these steps:
1. Open Microsoft Excel and enter your data for each day in separate columns. Make sure to include a column for the date and a column for the corresponding time.
2. Once your data is entered, select all the cells containing your data.
3. Click on the “Insert” tab at the top of the Excel window.
4. In the “Charts” section, click on the desired chart type (line, bar, etc.) that best suits your data.
5. A basic chart will appear on your Excel sheet. Right-click on the chart and select “Select Data” from the drop-down menu.
6. In the “Select Data Source” window, click on the “Edit” button under the Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels” section.
7. In the “Axis Labels” window, select the cells containing your dates and click “OK.”
8. Your chart will now display the time over multiple days.
9. You can further customize your chart by adding labels, titles, and changing the appearance of the chart elements.
10. Once you are satisfied with your plot, you can save it or print it for future use.
By following these simple steps, you can easily create a plot in Excel that effectively displays time over multiple days. This feature can be useful for tracking changes over time or visualizing trends in your data.
Excel: Plot Time Over Multiple Days
Often you may want to plot time values over multiple days in Excel, similar to the chart below:

The following step-by-step example shows exactly how to do so.
Step 1: Enter the Data
First, let’s enter the following data into Excel that shows the number of sales during various days and times at some store:

Step 2: Create a Day & Time Column
Next, type the following formula into cell C2 to create a new value that displays the day and time for the first row:
=A2+B2
Then click and drag this formula down to every remaining cell in column C:

Next, highlight the cell range C2:C9 and right click. In the dropdown menu that appears, click Format Cells:

In the new window that appears, type the following formula into the Type box:
m/d/yyyy h:mm AM/PM

Once you click OK, the cells will automatically be formatted to show the day and time with AM or PM appended to the end:

Step 3: Create a Line Chart
Next, highlight the cell range C2:D9, then click the Insert tab, then click the Line chart icon within the Charts group.
The following line chart will appear that displays the sales values by day and time:

Step 4: Customize the X-Axis of the Chart
Next, right click on any value on the x-axis and then click Format Axis:

In the new panel that appears, click the button under Axis Options called Text:

The x-axis values will automatically be updated to show the exact date and time:

The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Excel:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I create a plot in Excel that shows time over multiple days?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-plot-in-excel-that-shows-time-over-multiple-days/
stats writer. "How can I create a plot in Excel that shows time over multiple days?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 26 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-plot-in-excel-that-shows-time-over-multiple-days/.
stats writer. "How can I create a plot in Excel that shows time over multiple days?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-plot-in-excel-that-shows-time-over-multiple-days/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I create a plot in Excel that shows time over multiple days?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-create-a-plot-in-excel-that-shows-time-over-multiple-days/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I create a plot in Excel that shows time over multiple days?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. How can I create a plot in Excel that shows time over multiple days?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.
