Different version of Excel/ HP Chromebook x360

Question

Different version of Excel/ HP Chromebook x360

Sarah Ramirez 0

I have a HP Chromebook x360 and have to do an online assignment for school. When I have looked up tutorials on how to do things, such as making a histogram using data for both the y-axis and x-axis, it shows me tutorials for another version. I do not have the options they show on these tutorials. I cannot seem to find a tutorial for this version that my computer uses. Can anyone provide guidance in how to use this version of Excel, especially when making charts, like a histogram?

I know how to begin the histogram, I have the data on the x-axis, I do not know how to add the data I need for the y-axis.

The Title of Bin is the x-axis, I need Frequency as the y-axis. Screenshot of the options Excel gives me for the y-axis is attached.

Screenshot 2026-10-27 6.06.12 AM.png

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Answer 1

Aetherin 3,680 Independent Advisor

Hi @Sarah Ramirez,

Based on the screenshot, you are using Excel for the web on a Chromebook, so the interface and available chart options may look different from tutorials created for the Excel desktop application.

The issue is not that the Chromebook cannot add values to the Y-axis. In the screenshot, only the Title of Bin range appears to have been selected when the Histogram was created. Excel is therefore treating those numbers as the source observations, automatically grouping them into bins, and counting each value once. This explains why each bar has a height of 1 and why the Y-axis ranges only from 0 to 1.2.

Excel’s built-in Histogram chart is normally created from the source observations and calculates the bins and frequencies automatically. In this worksheet, however, the bin titles and frequencies have already been calculated in the Title of Bin and Frequency columns.

For this assignment, the better approach is to create a Clustered Column chart from both columns:

Delete the current chart.
Select the Title of Bin and Frequency columns, including their headings. Based on the screenshot, the range appears to be F27:G38.
Go to Insert > Column or Bar Chart > Clustered Column.
If the option is available, reduce the series Gap Width to 0% or close to 0% so the columns resemble a histogram.
Add Title of Bin as the horizontal axis title and Frequency as the vertical axis title.

This will use the Title of Bin values as the category labels on the X-axis and the Frequency values as the column heights on the Y-axis. Excel supports arranging category labels and their corresponding values in adjacent columns when creating a column chart.

You can refer to the following helpful guidance:

I hope these resources provide some useful approaches you can try. If you have any updates or further questions, please feel free to reply, and I'll be happy to assist you further.

Sarah Ramirez 0 Reputation points

2026-10-27T14:18:06.76+00:00

I didn't think to add this in my original question,

I need the frequency values along the y-axis but do not need bars for them. I need bars for the Title of Bin as well as the data along the x-axis. In previous assignments it automatically did this for me when I selected the data but it is not doing it for this assignment.
Sarah Ramirez 0 Reputation points

2026-10-27T14:26:35.5566667+00:00

Using the Title of Bin and Frequency data off one of the screenshots, I need it to look like the example I screenshot but with the frequencies from my data table along the y-axis. So I just need it showing how often the Title of Bin data occurs.Screenshot 2026-10-27 8.21.44 AM.png
Sarah Ramirez 0 Reputation points

2026-10-27T14:29:07.16+00:00

Screenshot of my example: Screenshot 2026-10-27 8.24.21 AM.png
Aetherin 3,680 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-27T14:48:57.19+00:00

Hi @Sarah Ramirez,

Thank you for clarifying.

In the example, the bars are not a separate representation of the Title of Bin values. Each Title of Bin value is simply a label along the X-axis, while the corresponding Frequency value determines the height of the bar and the scale along the Y-axis.

For example, the bar above 1.08 should have a height of 2, while the bar above 1.28 should have a height of 42. Therefore, you need one set of bars, not separate bars for both Title of Bin and Frequency. Selecting both columns when creating the Column chart, as described earlier, should produce this arrangement.
Aetherin 3,680 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-10-28T20:10:43.9633333+00:00

Hi @Sarah Ramirez,

I wanted to check in and see whether there are any updates on this question. If there's anything you'd like to share or discuss further, please don't hesitate to let me know.
Sarah Ramirez 0 Reputation points

2026-10-29T01:04:27.5633333+00:00

Screenshot 2026-10-28 6.56.56 PM.png

This is what I got when I selected both sets of data and inserted a cluster chart.

Answer 2

Because your worksheet already contains Bin and Frequency values, select both columns and create a 2-D column chart rather than Excel’s automatic Histogram chart.

Create the chart

Arrange the worksheet like this, with one row per bin:

Bin	Frequency
0–9	3
10–19	7
20–29	5

Then:

Select the complete two-column range, including the Bin and Frequency headings.
Select Insert → Charts → Column → 2-D Clustered Column.
Excel should use:
- Bin as the horizontal (x) axis.
- Frequency as the vertical (y) values.
- Frequency as the series name.

A column chart places categories on the horizontal axis and their values on the vertical axis, which matches an already-calculated frequency table.^1^

Do not try to enter Frequency as an axis-formatting option. The y-axis gets its numbers from the Frequency data series, not from the axis settings.

Correct the chart you already made

Since you already started the chart:

Select or right-click the chart.
Choose Select Data.
Under Data → Source, change the range so it includes both the Bin and Frequency columns.
If Frequency is still absent, use Data → Setup → Add Field, select the Frequency cells, and apply the change.^2^
Select the chart, open the Chart or Chart Design options, and change its type to 2-D Clustered Column if it is currently set to Histogram.

If your teacher specifically requires an XY (Scatter) chart, place numeric x-values in the first column and frequencies in the second. Excel for the web expects scatter-chart x and y values in that order.^3^

Why the Histogram option behaves differently

Excel’s built-in Histogram chart normally takes the raw observations and groups them into bins itself. Excel then counts how many observations fall into each bin.^4^ If Frequency has already been calculated, a regular column chart is the appropriate way to plot those existing totals.

On a Chromebook, Microsoft supports using the browser-based Microsoft 365 apps; the Windows or Mac desktop editions cannot be installed, and the Android Office apps are not currently supported on Chromebook.^5^ Therefore, tutorials showing desktop-only menus may not match the interface on the Chromebook.

References