Home / Statistical Tools / Analysis Tools / Boxplot / How-To / Multiple Data Columns
Multiple Data Columns¶
When you have multiple data columns, Quantum XL creates one chart with one box per column, letting you compare distributions side by side.
Goal¶
Compare measurement distributions across three production lines to see which line has the most variability and whether any lines have outliers.
Sample Data¶
Press Copy for Excel, then paste the table into a blank worksheet.
| Line A | Line B | Line C |
|---|---|---|
| 48.2 | 55.1 | 30.1 |
| 51.3 | 62.4 | 30.5 |
| 49.7 | 58.7 | 29.8 |
| 50.8 | 67.3 | 30.3 |
| 47.5 | 53.2 | 30.0 |
| 52.1 | 60.8 | 29.9 |
| 49.0 | 56.5 | 30.2 |
| 50.4 | 64.9 | 30.4 |
| 48.9 | 59.1 | 29.7 |
| 51.6 | 70.2 | 35.6 |
Each column represents measurements from a different production line. Line A is centered around 50, Line B is higher with more spread, and Line C is very tight around 30 with one potential outlier at 35.6.
Steps¶
-
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.
-
Launch the analysis
From the Excel ribbon, select QXL Stat Tools → Analysis Tools → Box Plot.
-
Select your data
Select cells A1:C11 (the header row plus all 10 data rows across all three columns).
-
Configure the analysis
In the Box Plot dialog:
- Data Columns: "Line A", "Line B", and "Line C" should all be checked
Click Finish to generate the chart.
Result¶
Quantum XL creates a single chart with three boxes: one for each production line. Each box is labeled with the column header and sample size (N = 10). At a glance you can compare:
- Line A has a narrow box centered near 50, indicating consistent measurements
- Line B has a much wider box centered near 60, indicating more variability
- Line C has an extremely tight box near 30, but the value 35.6 likely appears as an outlier or suspected outlier well above the whisker