How to Find the Equation of a Trendline in Excel (3 Methods)

A trendline equation represents the best-fit line for your data. Let’s explore three methods to find the equation in Excel:

Method 1 – Single Trendline

Steps

• Choose your dataset using the mouse.
• Go to the Insert tab and select Scatter from the Insert Scatter (X, Y) or Bubble Chart dropdown.
• This will create a scattered chart with your data points.

• Right-click on any chart point and choose Add Trendline.

• In the Format Trendline window, select Linear as the trendline option.

• Check Display Equation on Chart to see the equation.

• You should see a trendline on your chart with the equation.

Read More: How to Find the Equation of a Line in Excel

Method 2 – Use Double Trendline

When you have an Excel dataset that has different categories of data points, you can use this method to find the equation of a trendline.

Steps

• Select your dataset and create a scatter plot (similar to the one shown below).

• Right-click on the chart and choose Select Data.

• In the new Select Data Source window, select the data series Y and click Remove.

• A new Edit Series window will open.
• Click Add and create a new data series named Linear.
• Select cells B5 to B7 as the Series X values.
• Select cells C5 to C7 for the Series Y values.
• Press OK.

• Create another dataset with the name Polynomial.
• For the Series X values select cells B8 to B10, and for Series Y values select cells C8 to C10.

• You will see a scatter plot of the two data series we just created.

• Right-click on any of the blue data points and select Add Trendline.

• Follow the steps from Method 1 to display the Linear trendline equation.
• Repeat for orange data points using the Polynomial option.

Method 3 – Column Chart Trendline

Steps

• Select your data and go to the Insert tab.
• Click on the Insert Column or Bar Chart dropdown and select the Clustered Column option.

• Excel will generate a 2-D clustered column chart.

• Right-click on any of the orange-colored columns and select Add Trendline.

• In the new Format Trendline window, choose Polynomial as the Trendline Options.

• Check Display Equation on Chart option to see the polynomial equation.

• A polynomial trendline will show on your chart.

Download Practice Workbook

You can download the practice workbook from here:

Related Articles

• How to Show Equation in Excel Graph
• How to Create Equation from Data Points in Excel
• How to Use Trendline Equation in Excel
• How to Find Slope of Trendline in Excel
• How to Find Intersection of Two Trend Lines in Excel
• How to Find Unknown Value on Excel Graph

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