WPS Spreadsheet · Charts and visualization · Beginner
Choose combination, scatter and bubble charts in WPS Spreadsheet
Match categorical comparison, numeric relationships and a third size variable to suitable chart types.
Documentation-based procedure; synthetic checks independently verified; no native application execution · Editorial standards
Quick answer: Use a combination chart for unlike measures across shared categories, a scatter chart for two numeric coordinates, and a bubble chart when a third numeric measure should control marker area. Decide what each axis means before inserting anything.
Before you begin
Use a scratch workbook in a desktop-style WPS Spreadsheet interface matching the Academy sources. They demonstrate WPS chart controls but do not establish an exact operating system, installed build, edition or region. Do not assume these paths apply to mobile or browser editing. This exercise uses invented operational data, not an observed business relationship.
Keep three separate source blocks so the category labels intended for a combination chart are not accidentally used as scatter coordinates. A completed chart must pass both a visual check and a source-cell check.
Compare revenue and margin across categories
Enter the following in A1:C4:
| Month | Revenue | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1000 | 0.20 |
| Feb | 1500 | 0.30 |
| Mar | 1200 | 0.25 |
Format the Margin values as percentages. Select A1:C4, choose Insert > Chart, and select Combo. Assign Revenue to a column type and Margin to a line type. Select Secondary Axis for Margin, then insert the chart from the preview. If necessary, use Change Chart Type to revisit the assignments.
The expected pattern is revenue of 1000, 1500 and 1200, with margins of 20%, 30% and 25%. Both series peak in February, but their units are different. The right-hand margin scale must not be read as currency. Make the title and axis units explicit; a secondary axis can create misleading visual comparisons if readers are not told it exists.
Change B3 from 1500 to 900. February’s revenue column should now be the shortest while its margin remains the highest. If both move, check which cells each series uses.
Plot two numeric measurements
In E1:F4 enter headers Hours and Units, followed by the pairs (1, 12), (3, 18) and (8, 30). Select E1:F4 and choose Insert > Insert (X Y) Scatter Chart > Scatter in the documented interface.
Hours belongs on the horizontal axis; Units belongs on the vertical axis. Use the chart’s Chart Element control to add axis titles. Unlike three equally spaced category labels, the horizontal gaps here represent 2 hours and 5 hours. The last point should be considerably farther from the middle point than the middle is from the first.
Change E4 from 8 to 4. Only the last point’s horizontal position should move; its vertical value remains 30. This is a stronger test of an XY setup than accepting a chart that merely shows three dots. Do not add a trendline and describe it as causal evidence: three synthetic observations cannot establish a real-world mechanism.
Add a size measure with bubbles
Enter a separate numeric block H1:J4 with headers Hours, Units, Team size and rows 1, 12, 2; 3, 18, 4; 8, 30, 8. Select H2:J4, then choose Insert > Bubble > Bubble. The first two columns supply coordinates and the third supplies bubble size.
The rightmost/highest bubble represents the final row and should be larger than the first. Size is communicated through bubble area, not a third spatial axis. Doubling the third value is not a reason to expect double the diameter. Change J4 from 8 to 2: the final bubble should shrink without moving away from coordinates (8, 30).
If one bubble hides another, first inspect the underlying coordinates. Do not change data just to separate overlapping marks. Consider a scatter chart plus a separate size column when exact values matter more than the compact visual.
Save and diagnose
Save the workbook, reopen it, and verify all three changed-input checks. If numeric spacing is missing, you may have selected a category chart. If margins appear flat, check the secondary-axis assignment. If bubbles move when only size changes, inspect column order and source selection before changing styles.
Related guides
Use number, date and currency formatting to prepare numeric inputs, and printing and PDF output to review chart readability on a page.
Official references
- WPS Academy: combination charts (source captured 2026-10-20).
- WPS Academy: scatter charts (source captured 2026-10-20).
- WPS Academy: bubble charts (source captured 2026-10-20).