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Excel - Telling Lies with Pie Charts in Excel - Episode 446

485 views · Published 9 June 2009 · 2:35 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial: Telling Lies with 3D Pie Charts.

Welcome to the MrExcel netcast, where we discuss all things Excel. I'm Bill Jelen and today we're talking about an interesting topic - how people can lie with charts. As I've been working on my new book, "Charts and Graphs for Microsoft Excel 2007," I've come across some eye-opening insights that I want to share with you.

One of the types of pie charts you can create in Excel is a 3D pie chart, where the pie is tilted backwards. While this may look visually appealing, it can also be used to manipulate data and deceive viewers. When a chart is tilted, the items in the front appear larger than those in the back. This can be used to make certain data points seem more significant than they actually are.

To demonstrate this, I have two charts that show the same data but are formatted differently. In the first chart, labor costs make up 29% of the total, while everything else (material and overhead) makes up 71%. However, by simply rotating the chart and moving the labor costs to the back, it appears as though labor is a much smaller factor, when in reality it is still 29%. This is a prime example of how a 3D pie chart can be used to manipulate data and deceive viewers.

Now, I'm not suggesting that you should use this technique to lie with your charts. In fact, I urge you to always present data accurately and ethically. However, it's important to be aware of this tactic so that you can spot it when someone else is using it. To rotate a pie chart in Excel, simply click on the chart, right-click, and choose "Format Data Series." Then, go to the "Options" tab and adjust the "Angle of First Slice" to rotate the chart as desired.

So, the next time you see a 3D pie chart, make sure to take a closer look and see if the data is being presented accurately. Don't be fooled by the visual effects - always analyze the data behind the chart. Thanks for tuning in to this netcast from MrExcel. Don't forget to check out my new book for more tips and tricks on creating effective charts and graphs in Excel. See you next time!

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Watch out when someone tips a pie chart backwards to show a 3-D perspective. They are either unintentionally or intentionally trying to misrepresent the data. Episode 446 shows you how.

This blog is the video podcast companion to the book, Learn Excel from MrExcel and Charts and Graphs for Microsoft Office Excel 2007. Download a new two minute video every workday to learn one of the 277 tips from the book!

Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:17) New book on Charts and Graphs for Excel 2007
(00:30) The deception of 3D pie charts
(00:51) Two charts showing the same data in different formats
(01:05) Manipulating the perspective to downplay certain data
(01:36) The importance of being aware of chart manipulation
(01:48) How to rotate a pie chart
(02:10) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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