How to Create a Curved Line Graph in Excel or Word

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Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word are part of the Microsoft Office Suite. You can use Excel to organize data, while Word is used to create documents, such as essays or reports. Both Excel and Word have options for you to insert charts and graphs. It is easy to create a line graph using either program. The line graphs automatically show your data using angled lines. If you would like to smooth out the lines to create a curved line graph, it is also easy to do so.

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Microsoft Excel

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Step 1

Open Microsoft Excel. Highlight the data you want to insert in a graph.

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Step 2

Click the "Insert" tab from the menu at the top of the page. You can insert pictures, clips and graphs here.

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Step 3

Look to the "Charts" section on the drop-down menu. Select "Line" and then choose either a 2-D or a 3-D line chart depending on your preferences. Your data will appear in a line graph.

Step 4

Right-click on the line in the graph and select "Format Data Series." This is where you will choose options to make the line in the graph curved.

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Step 5

Select "Marker Line Style" from the options at the right of the box that opens. Check the box that says "Smoothed line" and click "Close." You will now have a curved line graph on your spreadsheet.

Microsoft Word

Step 1

Open Microsoft Word. Click "Insert" from the toolbar at the top.

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Step 2

Select "Chart" and when the charts options box opens, choose "Line" and click "OK."

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Step 3

Enter the data for the chart in the spreadsheet that appears. After you enter the data, close out the spreadsheet. The data will be applied to the graph on your document.

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Step 4

Right-click on a line in your graph and select "Format Data Series." Select "Marker Line Style" and check the box that says "Smoothed line."

Step 5

Click "Close." You will now have a curved line graph on your Word document.

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