How to Make a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets?

A Box Plot (also known as Box and Whisker Plot) is one of the graphs you can use to display data distribution in quartiles while highlighting mean and outlier attributes.

The visualization design is amazingly easy to interpret.

Google Sheets lacks Box and Whisker Charts. In other words, the application does not natively support the aforementioned visual design.

One of the viable options available to you is to plot the chart manually, which is incredibly time-intensive.

Think beyond the freemium spreadsheet application if you intend to display data attributes, such as mean, outliers, and quartiles in your data. We’re not advocating you do away with Google Sheets.

Yes, you read that right.

The tested and proven option is downloading and installing a particular add-in (which we’ll talk about later) into your Google Sheets to access ready-to-go Box and Whisker Charts.

In this blog, you’ll learn:

Table of Content:

1. What is a Box and Whisker Plot?
2. What is the Use of Box Plot in Google Sheets?
3. Best Box and Whisker Plot Generator in Google Sheets
4. How to Make a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets?
5. How to Edit a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets?
6. Why use a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets?
7. Key Elements in a Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets
8. When to use Box and Whisker Chart?
9. When not to Use a Box and Whisker Chart?
10. Wrap Up

Before delving right into the how-to guide, let’s address the following question:

What is a Box and Whisker Plot?

A Box Plot (also known as Box and Whisker Plot) is a visualization design that uses box plots to display insights into data.

The chart simplifies bulky and complex data sets into quartiles and averages. Also, you can use the chart to pinpoint outliers in your data. The Box Plot segments key variables in quarters or (quartiles).

The chart displays information regarding your data’s shape, variability, and center (or median). Also, you can leverage the chart to determine the skewness of data points.

Essentially, a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets shows the following points of data:

• Minimum range
• Lower quartile
• Median
• Upper quartile
• Maximum range

What is the Use of Box Plot in Google Sheets?

You can use the Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets to perform the following tasks:

• Provide descriptive information, such as the average and quartile, of key variables in your data
• Show the best and worst-performing products in your inventory
• Display average fill volumes in your data
• Point out out-of-specification issues that occur the most

The Box and Whisker Chart comes in 2 major variants, namely:

• Horizontally-Oriented Box and Whisker Bar Chart

• Vertically-Oriented Box and Whisker Plot

How to make a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets should never throw a curveball at you.

Best Box and Whisker Plot Generator in Google Sheets

Google Sheets is one of the most-used visualization tools among businesses and professionals worldwide.

However, this cloud-hosted spreadsheet tool comes with very basic Box and Whisker Charts, which require a lot of extra editing.

We’re not recommending you do away with the spreadsheet app.

You can turn Google Sheets into a reliable Box and Whisker Plot generator loaded with ready-made and visually stunning charts by installing third-party apps, such as ChartExpo.

What is ChartExpo?

ChartExpo is an add-on for Google Sheets that you can easily install.

ChartExpo turns your complex, raw data into compelling, easy-to-digest, visual renderings that tell the story of your data using its many advanced and ready-made visualizations.

The Box and Whisker Plot generator produces simple and clear visualization designs with just a few clicks. Yes, ChartExpo generates Box and Whisker Charts that are amazingly easy to interpret, even for non-technical audiences.

Why should you sign up for ChartExpo?

• ChartExpo has an in-built library with many ready-to-use charts.
• ChartExpo is cloud-hosted, which makes it extremely light. You have a 100% guarantee that your browser won’t be slowed down.
• You can export your Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets in JPEG and PNG, the world’s most-used formats for sharing images.
• The add-on comes with a free 7-day trial. If not satisfied with the tool within a week, you can opt-out with no strings attached.

Let’s learn how to create this chart with Box and Whisker Chart examples.

How to Make a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets?

Install the ChartExpo add-on for Google Sheets from this link and then follow the simple and easy steps below.

• Open your Google Sheets application.
• Open the worksheet and click Extensions.
• Then click Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo. 
• Finally, click the Open button in the dropdown.

• Click the Add New Chart button, as shown below.

• Click the Search Box and type “Box and Whisker Chart”, as shown below.

• Select the sheet holding your data and select the Metrics option. Fill in the numerical numbers.
• Select the Dimensions button and fill in the dimensional data.
• Finish the simple process by clicking the Create Chart button on the Box and Whisker Plot Generator in Google Sheets (ChartExpo).

• If you follow the instructions (above), your Box and Whisker Plot should look like this (below).

How to Edit a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets?

To add additional details, such as the title in your chart, follow the steps below:

• Click the Edit button and then click the pencil-like marker near the title section.

• Once the Chart Header Top Properties window pops up, click the Line 1 button and fill in the title.

• Then, click the Show button and toggle the switch to the right-hand side.
• Save your new changes by clicking the Apply button.

• To change the legend properties, click the Chart Footer.
• Once the Chart Footer Properties window shows, click the Line 1 box and fill in your preferred legend, as shown below.

• Toggle the switch to the right-hand side to display your legend.

How to make a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets should never be an Achilles heel to you after you have learned how to use ChartExpo as a Box and Whisker Plot generator. Keep reading to discover more.

• To transfer your chart to other places, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, click the Export button, as shown below.

• Check out the final chart below.

You can also use ChartExpo to create Box and Whisker Chart in Excel.

Why use a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets?

The chart has a ton of benefits you don’t want to miss. Let’s check them out.

• A Visual Summary of Variations in Data

The Box Plot consolidates key categories in your data and displays visual summary insights in an easy-to-digest manner.

• Outliers

The Box and Whisker Chart is best-suited in uncovering outliers in your data. Values that drift away from whiskers are considered outliers. So you can use Box and Whisker plot as outlier detector.

• Comparison of Multiple Variables in Data

A Box Plot is one of the recommended charts for comparing multiple data points. And this is because it has a minimalist design, which eases interpretation and highlights differences between key variables.

• Data symmetry and skewness

The Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets is one of the few visualization designs you can use to display the skewness of data points.

How to Make a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets should never consume your valuable time. Keep reading to discover more.

Key Elements in a Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets

• Mean

Mean is the usual average.

The formula to calculate the mean is:

ΣXi /N

N is the total number of elements in a set of data. And X are elements present in the set of data. i is the position of the values.

• Median

Arrange your data in ascending order (from the smallest to the greatest number) to find the median. The element that resides in the center-most position is the median.

You can also use the following formula (N+1)/2 to find the position, where N is the number of elements in data. If your data consists of an even number of elements, use two middle positions. The average of the two numbers is the median.

• Lower Quartile (Q1)

The median divides the Box and Whisker Chart into a lower and upper half.

The lower quartile is the middle value of the lower half, i.e., the element between the minimum number and the median.

Use the following formula to derive lower quartile (N+1)/4.

• Upper Quartile (Q3)

The upper quartile is the middle value between the maximum number and the median.

The formula for deriving the upper quartile is (3N+3)/4. And for even number of elements is 3N/4.

• Maximum and Minimum Range

The maximum range is the highest value of a key variable in your data. On the other hand, the minimum range is the lowest value of a data point.

When to use Box and Whisker Chart?

Use Box and Whisker Plot if you have multiple data sets from independent sources related to each other in some way.  Other practical uses of a Box and Whisker Chart Google Sheets are highlighted below.

• Data from duplicate machines manufacturing the same products in a factory
• Test scores between classes or educational institutions
• Data from before and after a process change in a company

When not to Use a Box and Whisker Chart?

• The Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets do not retain the exact values of your data. In other words, it only displays the summary of the values in the dataset.
• The chart can confuse audiences who are not familiar with descriptive statistics, such as standard deviation and quartiles.

FAQs:

Why are Box Plots best used for visualizing small data sets?

The Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets works well with small data sets. And this is because it displays high-level and descriptive insights, such as mean, median, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values, and quartiles.

The chart is likely to appear cluttered and congested if you visualize multiple variables simultaneously.

Can Box Plots be used to compare different samples?

Yes, the Box and Whisker Chart is best-suited in visualizing varying data sets. The chart uses its ‘five-number summary’ to display a ton of insights, such as mean, range, and quartiles, among others.

The charts are widely used in the education sector, research facilities, and agriculture to compare varying samples.

How can you describe a Box and Whisker Plot?

A Box and Whisker Plot (also known as Box Plot) is a visualization design that uses Japanese candle shapes to display insights into data.

Use the chart if your goal is to display high-level insights, such as mean, quartiles, standard deviation, and median.

Why are Box Plots better than other Charts?

• A Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets can help you to visualize large datasets.
• You can easily detect the symmetry of the data at a glance.
• Unlike other charts, the Box Plot displays outliers.
• The chart comes in handy if your goal is to display skewness, mean, outliers, and quartile details.

Wrap Up

A Box Plot is one of the graphs you can use to display the distribution of data in quartiles while highlighting mean and outlier attributes.

One of the key advantages of the chart is the fact that it’s incredibly easy to decode.

Google Sheets lacks Box and Whisker Charts. In other words, it does not natively support the aforementioned visual design.

So, what’s the solution?

We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo, into your Google Sheets to access ready-made Box and Whisker Charts.

ChartExpo is an add-in you can easily download and install in your Google Sheets app. Besides, the application comes loaded with insightful and ready-made Box and Whisker Plot Google Sheets. You don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using ChartExpo.

How to make a Box and Whisker Plot in Google Sheets should never be a stressful and time-intensive affair.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access easy-to-interpret and ready-made Box and Whisker Plots.