To create a column chart in Excel, you should first select which of the following?

To create a column chart in Excel, you need to first select the data range that you want to visualize. This includes both the numeric values and the corresponding categories or labels that will appear on the chart axes. Selecting the entire data range ensures that the chart correctly reflects the relationships and comparisons between the data points.

By selecting only the titles or just the numeric data, the resulting chart could be incomplete or misrepresentative. The titles alone would not provide any numerical context for the chart, while selecting only numeric data would omit critical category labels, making it unclear what the data refers to. Furthermore, selecting the whole spreadsheet is unnecessary and could lead to confusion, as it might include unrelated data that you do not wish to display in the chart. Therefore, focusing on the specific data range that includes all relevant information is crucial for creating an accurate and informative column chart.