How to Create an Excel Chart with Date, Time, Temperature, and Humidity
Question details
The user needs to create a chart visualizing multi-day sensor data that includes date, time, temperature, and relative humidity on appropriate axes.
- Product
- Spreadsheet
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Visualizing temperature and humidity sensor data across multiple days with an accurate combined timeline mapping.
- Observed behavior
- The user has separate columns for Date and Time, as well as distinct measurement scales for Temperature and Humidity, which need to be combined and plotted on dual Y-axes for clear visualization.
Ensure your data is organized into clean columns without blank rows, and verify that your Date and Time columns are formatted correctly as standard date and time values rather than text.
Create a Combo Chart with a Combined Date/Time Axis
Combine your date and time into a single column for the horizontal axis, then use a combo chart to display temperature and humidity on separate vertical axes.
Because temperature and relative humidity use different measurement scales, plotting them on the same axis makes the chart difficult to read. A Combo Chart solves this by placing one metric on a secondary Y-axis.
Insert a new column next to your Time column. Assuming Date is in column A and Time is in column B, enter the formula =A2+B2 in the new column. Press Enter, then drag the fill handle down to apply it to all rows.
Select the new combined column, right-click, and choose 'Format Cells'. Go to the 'Custom' category and enter 'm/d/yyyy h:mm' (or your preferred date-time format) to display both date and time clearly.
Highlight your new DateTime column, the Temperature column, and the Humidity column. Go to the 'Insert' tab on the ribbon, click the 'Chart' icon, and select 'Combo Chart'.
In the chart configuration, set Temperature to a 'Clustered Column' or 'Line' chart type. Set Humidity to a 'Line' chart type, and check the 'Secondary Axis' box next to Humidity to plot it on the right side of the chart.
Use a PivotChart to Group Data by Day and Time
A PivotChart is ideal for summarizing and filtering large sets of multi-day sensor data dynamically.
Create Combo and Pivot Charts Effortlessly with WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Spreadsheet provides intuitive charting tools, built-in combo chart templates, and powerful PivotTable features to quickly turn complex sensor logs into clear, professional visualizations.
- 1. Open your data file: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your sensor data file.
- 2. Combine Date and Time: Use a simple addition formula to merge your Date and Time columns into a single timeline column.
- 3. Insert a Chart: Highlight your data, navigate to the 'Insert' tab, and click on 'Chart'.
- 4. Configure the Dual Axes: Select 'Combo', assign a secondary axis to the humidity data series, and click 'OK' to instantly generate your chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Date and Time addition formula resulting in a weird decimal number?
Spreadsheet software stores dates as whole numbers (representing days since Jan 1, 1900) and times as fractions of a day. Adding them yields a decimal. To fix the display, select the cell, right-click to choose 'Format Cells', and apply a custom Date and Time format like 'mm/dd/yyyy hh:mm'.
Why is a secondary axis necessary for humidity?
Temperature is typically measured in degrees (e.g., 20-35°C), while relative humidity is a percentage (e.g., 40%-90% or 0.4-0.9). Plotting them on the same axis squashes the data with the smaller numerical scale, making the trends impossible to read. A secondary axis provides a dedicated scale for the second metric.
Can I group the PivotChart data by month instead of day?
Yes. If your sensor data spans a long period, right-click the date field in your PivotTable, select 'Group', and choose 'Months' from the grouping dialog box. The linked PivotChart will automatically update to reflect the monthly data trends.
