Please consider the environment before printing this tutorial. Printing is usually a waste.

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1 Ortiz 1 ESCI 1101 Excel Tutorial Fall 2011 Please consider the environment before printing this tutorial. Printing is usually a waste. Many times when doing research, the graphical representation of analyzed data is a requirement. Being able to know how to use computing tools such as Excel is a great skill to have. A) For your lab report I require one table and two graphs. Below are some instructions on how to make simple graphs on Excel with Microsoft Excel. Note that the values that I will use here are merely examples, and not actual data. 1) Before creating a graph, you should set up your data in a spread sheet, being organized and giving data sets appropriate titles helps you keep track of what you are doing (fig. 1). Keep in mind that in a graph, the x-axis is the independent variable, and the y-axis is the dependent variable. Example: If you wanted to graph CO2 concentrations against time, think what variable depends on the other. Time does not depend on CO2 concentrations, it is independent. However, CO2 concentrations depend on time (as well as many other things...) Figure 1 Organize your data! 2) Now you are ready to import your data into a graph. For the purpose of this lab report, you will be using scatter plots. Go to the insert tab in your excel spread sheet without selecting any cells (fig. 2). Select the scatter plot option. A blank window should appear.

2 Ortiz 2 Figure 2 Use the Insert tab to select chart type 3) Right click inside the blank window and click the Select Data option. A Select Data Source window should appear (fig. 3). Here you will click the Add button to input data into your graph. Figure 3 Select Data Source window allows you to add data onto your blank graph. 4) An Edit Series window should now appear (fig. 4). In the series name you can either type in the name of the first data set you want to use, or you can simply select the cell from your spread

3 Ortiz 3 sheet. For your Series X values simply click and select all the values you need for your independent variable. Do the same for your Series Y values, the dependent values. Figure 4 Here select the data you will use for your data series 5) Repeat step 4) if you need to display more data sets in the same graph. 6) Once you are satisfied with your data series, your Select Data Source window will illustrate all of the data you have selected (fig.5). Click OK. Figure 5 Here I only used one data source. If you use more, these should appear in the Legend Entries (Series) section. 7) Now you should have a graph containing the data you selected (fig 6). You are not done yet. Remember you still need to label your axis, add a tread line and display an equation.

4 Ortiz Figure 6 The graph is not complete! 8) Select your graph in the spread sheet so that a highlighted Chart Tools tab appears. From the highlighted Chart Tools section, select the Layout tab. Here Excel gives you many options to format your graph. Select the Axis Titles button (fig. 7). Here you will have two options for titles. You should use both, one horizontal and one vertical title for your graph. Figure 7 Select the Axis Titles button 9) Now you need to add a tread line which will show you the line of best fit between your data points. Right click on any data point and select the Add Tread line option, the Format Treadline window should appear. Select the linear treadline option radio button, and check the Display Equation on Chart box (fig. 8). Click Close.

5 Ortiz 5 Figure 8 Make sure to select both the linear radio button and the Display equation on chart box 10) Your graph should now be complete (fig. 9)! Remember the equation you are displaying is the y=mx+b. A quick algebra review will help you understand the meaning of the equation.

6 Number of Thalli Ortiz y = x Time in days Linear () Figure 9 Final product contains treadline, equation, and axis titles B) Excel is also a great calculating tool. Knowing some tricks will help you save time. 1) When calculating data on Excel, always make sure you enter = sign before typing in any sort of formula. If you don t Excel will not work. After the equals sign enter the command you want it to operate, then open parenthesis. After the open parenthesis selects the data cells you will be using to make calculations and end the command by using the closing parenthesis. Here are the formulas you will need for computing average and standard deviation respectively: =average() =stdev()