Table of Contents
To add a quadratic trendline in Excel (Step-by-Step), first, select the chart and then click on the ‘Design’ tab. Next, click on ‘Add Chart Element’ and select ‘Trendline’. Then select ‘Quadratic’ from the list and click ‘OK’. This will add the quadratic trendline to the chart. Finally, click on the trendline and then click the ‘Format Trendline’ option to customize the trendline’s properties.
If the relationship between two variables is quadratic, then you can use a quadratic trendline to capture their relationship in a plot.
This tutorial provides a step-by-step example of how to add a quadratic trendline to a scatterplot in Excel.
Step 1: Create the Data
First, let’s create some data to work with:
Step 2: Create a Scatterplot
Next, highlight cells A2:B17. Click the Insert tab along the top ribbon, then click the first chart option under Insert Scatter in the Charts group.
The following scatterplot will automatically be displayed:
Step 3: Add the Quadratic Trendline
Next, click the green plus “+” sign in the top right corner of the plot. Click the arrow to the right of Trendline, then click More Options.
In the window that appears to the right, click Polynomial and select 2 for Order:
The following quadratic trendline will automatically be displayed on the chart: