Simple graph of y=x^2 for values of x -10 to 10.
Two colums x and y
Select all data for data series.
Create chart
Delete plot of data series x (not interested)
The x axis starts at 1 and runs to 21, with 11 having a y value of 0
Last time I plotted this on graph paper (40 years ago at school!!) a y value of 0 only occurred for an x value of 0, never 11.
Now I’m either doing something completely wrong or…
But I can’t find anywhere to alter the displayed values of the x-axis.
You did not create an X-Y diagram but a column diagram with 21 values, of which the 11th column happens to be the Y value for your deleted X value at 0. Create a XY chart instead.
Umm, no.
At ‘Chart type’ I picked ‘Line’ not ‘Column’
FYI i’m using Calc v6.3.5.2
As for your ‘deleted x value’ I deleted the x-series so that my intended graph/chart didn’t have a straight line going from -10 to 10 just the line representing a quadratic equation, a nice ‘U’ shaped one.
Just a moment, I picked a ‘Line’ graph which is what I thought is what I wanted. I’ve just tried an ‘X-Y (Scatter)’ and it gives me what I expect. I think the terms are confusing. Well they confused me!! I wouldn’t call a quadratic equation graph a ‘Scatter’ one.
The XY chart is for paired values, call it Scatter or not, or y=f(x). You could had achieved something similar with a Line chart as well if in the Data Range you selected First column as label (if that were the X values and the second column the Y values), or assigned the X values as Categories, and then moved the Y-axis crossing position from -10 to 0. The XY chart does similar automatically and also provides finer control over the X-axis scale.