Linear & Logarithmic

You can change the scale of the vertical axis "Y-axis" of your chart by selecting either the "Linear" or "Logarithmic" chart option. If you select the Linear chart option, you will view a chart whose vertical axis shows an equal distance along the axis for each absolute change in price. In other words a stock that has moved from $20 to $30 would show the same absolute change as an increase in price from $50 to $60, even though the move from $20 to $30 represented a 50% advance, whereas the move from $50 to $60 represented a more modest 20% advance. Here is a 3-year linear chart that demonstrates this.

Conversely, if you select the Logarithmic (Log) chart option, you will view a chart whose vertical axis is structured so that an equal distance along it represents an equal percentage change. In the logarithmic chart example below, the vertical axis looks much different than the vertical axis on the linear chart. The move from $20 to $30 is a larger percentage increase (50% increase) than the move from $50 to $60 (20% increase). Therefore, the axis points between $20 and $30 are farther apart than the axis points between $50 and $60. It's important to note that a straight line on a log chart represents constant growth whereas a straight line on a linear chart represents slowing growth.