How to Create a Scatter Plot in Excel with 3 Variables?

A Scatter Plot is one of the best-suited visualization designs for displaying causal relationships in data with more than 2 variables.

Why?

The chart uses a series of dots to display insights into varying sets of data. Interpreting the Scatter Plot with 3 variables is amazingly easy, even for non-technical audiences (and readers).

To display relationships and associations in your raw data, we suggest you give a Scatter Plot a try.

There’re three types of relationships that a Scatter Plot Chart displays, namely:

• Positive relationship
• Negative relationship
• No relationship

So how can you generate visually stunning and insightful Scatter Plots for your data stories?

Excel is the logical choice for many because it’s inexpensive. However, the tool produces less desirable charts, which require extra time and effort to customize.

You don’t have to waste your valuable time.

You have an option of installing a particular add-in if your goal is to access ready-to-use Scatter Plot Charts.

In this blog, you’ll learn:

Table of Content:

1. What is a Scatter Plot?
2. Scatter Plot with 3 Variables
3. Can We Create a Scatter Plot with 3 Variables?
4. How to Create a Scatter Plot in Excel with 3 Variables?
5. What are the Advantages of Using a Scatter Plot Chart?
6. Why Do We Use Scatter Plot Graph?
7. How does Scatter Plot Display Various Types of Relationships?
8. Wrap up

Let’s define the chart before delving right into the “How to Create a Scatter Plot in Excel with 3 Variables?”.

What is a Scatter Plot?

A Scatter Plot is an easy-to-interpret chart you can use to display the relationships between different variables.

This chart communicates insights using dots or markers between its x and y-axes. Essentially, each of the chart’s dots appears “scattered”, hence its name. You can use the Scatter Plot to compare three key variables in your data to determine the relationships.

The values for each dot are encoded by:

• Horizontal position on the x-axis
• Vertical position on the y-axis
• The physical size

Scatter Plot with 3 Variables

Take a look at an example of a Scatter Plot Chart below.

There’s a linear relationship between the number of orders and sales, albeit relatively weaker. In other words, the number of orders increases with sales to a certain degree.

How to create a Scatter Plot in Excel with 3 variables does not have to throw a curveball at you. Keep reading to discover more.

Can We Create a Scatter Plot with 3 Variables?

Yes, it’s possible to generate a Scatter Plot with three variables. However, it depends highly on the tool you’re using for the task.

One of the biggest advantages of the chart is that you can easily uncover hidden “cause-and-effect” relationships between two key variables in data.

Excel is one of the best data visualization tools because it’s familiar and has been there for a long time. Besides, its parent company is a reputable technology firm globally in other segments, such as computer Windows.

However, it’s not advisable to over-rely on Excel.

Why?

Excel produces pretty basic Scatter Plot Charts. You have to invest significant amounts of brainpower and time editing the chart to align with your needs.

We’re not advocating you ditch Excel in favor of other expensive data visualization tools. There’s a smart Scatter Plot Chart maker (Excel-friendly add-in) you can install in your spreadsheets app to access the ready-made and visually stunning charts.

We recommend trying ChartExpo to access ready-made and visually stunning Scatter Plot Charts.

ChartExpo is a Scatter Plot generator that over 40,000 professionals worldwide use to create insightful and easy-to-understand visualizations.

How to create a Scatter Plot Chart in Excel with 3 variables should never be a stumbling block for you. In the coming section, we’ll use Scatter Plot Chart in ChartExpo to visualize sample data.

You don’t want to miss this.

How to Create a Scatter Plot in Excel with 3 Variables?

This section will use a Scatter Plot to display insights into the tabular data below.

Products Type	Products	Sales	No. of Orders	In Stock
Cosmetic	Face Primer	90	10	26
Cosmetic	Foundation	70	12	16
Cosmetic	Concealer	190	9	13
Cosmetic	Blush	880	16	21
Cosmetic	Highlighter	900	22	35
Cosmetic	Bronzer	600	23	23
Cosmetic	Powder	600	42	38
Cosmetic	Eye Primer	1300	19	43
Electronics	TVs	590	28	32
Electronics	Refrigerators	390	11	33
Electronics	Washing machines	490	41	22
Electronics	Air Conditioners	390	18	40
Electronics	Printers	260	17	42
Electronics	Speakers	210	2	19
Electronics	Keyboards	170	23	34
Electronics	E-Readers	170	13	25
Garments	Mobile Phones	140	27	21
Garments	Sweater	110	13	40
Garments	Hoodies	110	12	35
Garments	T-shirts	760	6	35
Garments	Jeans	1500	7	38
Garments	Sweat Shirts	1000	19	39
Garments	Formal Trousers	150	10	28
Garments	Polo Shirts	380	14	15

Click this link to install ChartExpo into your Excel. Congratulations if you’ve installed the add-in into your spreadsheet.

To get started with ChartExpo, follow the simple steps below.

• From the Insert menu click the My Apps button to access the ChartExpo add-in.

• Select ChartExpo for Excel and click the Insert button to get started with ChartExpo.

• Once ChartExpo is loaded, you will see a list of charts.

• Look for Scatter Plot and click on the icon to get started, as shown below.

• Select the sheet holding your data and click the Create Chart From Selection button, as shown below.

• Check out your final chart below.

Insights

• Although it’s relatively weaker, there’s a linear relationship between orders and sales. In other words, the number of orders increases with sales.
• The average number of orders is 17.25.

What are the Advantages of Using a Scatter Plot Chart?

• Scatter Plot Correlation are incredibly crucial, especially if your goal is to display correlational insights.
• Data visualization experts consider a Scatter Plot an apt visualization design in showing the non-linear relationship in data.
• Scatter Plot Charts are amazingly easy to read, even for non-technical audiences.
• The range of flow of data in Scatter Plot examples is readily visible. And this means you can easily point out the maximum and minimum points in your data at a snap of the fingers.

Why Do We Use Scatter Plot Graph?

Scatter Plots (also known as x-y Graphs, XY Scatter Chart) are best suited for visualizing data with more than 2 key variables.

The key advantage is you don’t have to use more charts to visualize complex data with more variables.

Check out the common uses of the chart below:

• You can use a Scatter Plot to investigate the relationship between key metrics (you’re actively tracking).
• You can use this chart in the quality control process as a corrective action approach, especially when investigating the causal factors of poor performance.

Keep reading because, in the next section, we’ll reveal the best Scatter Plot maker you can use to visualize your data quickly and easily.

How does Scatter Plot Displays Various Types of Relationships?

The most common use of the Scatter Plot is to display the insights into two or three variables in your data.

The relationships observed can be:

• Positive

A positive correlation depicts a rise. It’s depicted as data points sloping upwards from the lower-left corner of the chart towards the upper-right.

• Negative

Conversely, a negative correlation depicts a fall. It’s depicted as data points sloping downwards from the upper-left corner of the chart towards the lower right.

• No relationship

Data that are neither positively nor negatively correlated is considered uncorrelated (null).

You can use Scatter Plot with 3 variables to accomplish the following:

• Identify correlational relationships

Use Scatter Plots if your goal is to display the relationships between key metrics in your data.

• Identification of data patterns

Also, you can use the chart to display trends and patterns of variables in your data. The trend can point upwards, downwards, or flat areas (no change).

FAQs:

How do you make a Scatter Plot with 3 Variables in Excel?

Tools, such as Excel, come packed with basic Scatter Plot Charts, which implies you have to spend more time and energy to edit.

But you can overcome the challenge above by downloading and installing a particular add-in for Excel called ChartExpo. The aforementioned tool can help you access a ready-made Scatter Plot with 3 variables.

What is the main purpose of a Scatter Plot?

A Scatter Plot shows the relationship between two quantitative variables in a data set. The values of the dependent variable appear on the horizontal axis, while independent variables appear on the vertical axis of the chart.

Use the chart if your goal is to uncover hidden relationships of key data points.

Wrap Up

As we said, a Scatter Plot is one of the best-suited visualization designs for displaying causal relationships in data with 3 variables.

The visualization design uses a series of dots to display insights into two varying sets of data. Interpreting the Scatter Plot with 3 variables is amazingly easy, even for non-technical audiences (and readers).

To display relationships in your raw data, we suggest you give a Scatter Plot a try.

Excel is the logical choice for many because it’s inexpensive. However, the tool produces less desirable Scatter Plot Charts, which require extra time and effort to customize.

How to create a Scatter Plot in Excel with 3 variables does not have to overwhelm or even stress you.

You have an option of installing a particular add-in if your goal is to access ready-to-use Scatter Plot Charts.

We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo to access ready-to-use Scatter Plot with 3 variables. This easy-to-use data visualization tool comes as an add-on you can easily download and install in your spreadsheet app.

ChartExpo comes loaded with an insightful and easy-to-interpret Scatter Plot, plus it has variety of different charts. Besides, you don’t need programming or coding skills to visualize your data using the add-in for Excel.

Sign up for a 7-day free trial today to access a ready-made and crystal-clear Scatter Plot with 3 variables for your data stories.