Excel 2010 chart bunches up sequential time values of x-axis - how to fix?

[jtchi23]

I have some data I'm plotting over time on a scatter plot in Excel 2010. Excel is having trouble with auto sizing the x-axis (which are time values) after a certain amount of data points fill in. As an example, I have an excel sheet with time values by minute with a corresponding data value.

I'm trying to figure out how to "stretch" the x-axis and have it only incorporate the times I have listed. For some reason, it likes to go back to 12:00 AM.

I created a sample file that has the dates/data in two columns. Also, the selected data used in the chart is not the entire column; it's only the cells w/ data but that does not help.

Any ideas how to make the chart remove the "dead space"?

[Andy Pope]

xy-scatters will start from zero.

Set the x axis Min and Major unit values.

Min = 0.45833
Major = 0.02084

[jtchi23]

Hi, thanks for the reply. I think that's the y-axis you are referring to; it's the x-axis that's bunched up. The way it's set up is every minute the excel sheet appends a data point to the each column (time stamp and associated value). Then the chart updates. I initially set the chart up (select data) to include like 250 rows of each column. When I have say 50 data points, it works fine and uses only the points w/ values. Then with a couple hundred, it scrunches it up. Even trying to delete any unused rows doesn't help (as evidenced by the example file). I'm wondering why it works for < 50 or 100 data points, then something causes it to start from 12:00am

[jtchi23]

I think you were right about it being affected by the xy-scatter though. I changed the chart type to a line (or area, etc...anything but a scatter), removed the line so it appears like an xy scatter and the problem disappeared. It formats the x-axis as it should. Thanks for the idea - I'll mark this solved.