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How-To

Quick Start

Create your first box plot in less than two minutes.

This example shows the simplest way to create a box plot: a single column of numeric data. Quantum XL calculates the median, quartiles, whiskers, and identifies any outliers automatically.

Goal

Create a box plot showing the distribution of weight measurements from a single column of data.

Sample Data

Press Copy for Excel, then paste the table into a blank worksheet.

Weight
12.3
15.7
11.2
18.4
14.1
16.8
13.5
19.2
14.7
10.6

Each row represents one weight measurement. Quantum XL will calculate the median, quartiles, and whisker positions from these 10 values.

Steps

  1. Put the data in Excel

    Press Copy for Excel above the table, click cell A1 in a blank worksheet, and press Ctrl+V. The header row lands in row 1 and the 10 data rows in rows 2 through 11.

  2. Launch the analysis

    From the Excel ribbon, select QXL Stat Tools → Analysis Tools → Box Plot.

  3. Select your data

    Select cells A1:A11 (the header row plus all 10 data rows).

  4. Configure the analysis

    In the Box Plot dialog:

    • Data Columns: "Weight" should be checked

    Quantum XL automatically selects the single provided data column, so you don't need to change any options. Click Finish to generate the chart.

Result

Quantum XL creates a box plot showing the distribution of the Weight column. The box spans from Q1 to Q3 (the middle 50% of values), the line inside the box marks the median, and the whiskers extend to the most extreme values within 1.5 times the IQR. The chart label shows "Weight (N = 10)" indicating all 10 data points were included.

More Examples

Ready for more? See these variations: