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Graphing with Microsoft Excel

Lecture 11

Engineering H191Engineering Fundamentals and Laboratory

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Microsoft ExcelMenu Tabs

currently active cell(s):referenced by columnand row, here B3

fill handle

formula bar

File menu Quick Access

cursor(mouse)

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Step 1: Enter the Data! An example seed file is on Carmen and Class

Drive

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Step 2: Select Data

To select data,click with leftmouse button,hold and dragacross desiredcells

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Step 3: Choose a Graph Type

3. Choose chart

sub-type

1. Choose “Insert” 2. Choose chart type

“XY Scatter”

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Step 4: Edit the Series4. Click on Select Data 5. ‘Edit’ the series

to provideyear informationto X-axis

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Step 5: Continue5. Add X-Axis Information

Click here and then select x-axis values(Year Column Values)

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Step 6: Add another plot to the graph

6. Select 'Add'

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Step 7: New Series Information

Set Series Name (Deaths)Set X-Axis

Values (Year values)

Set Y-Axis Values (Death values)

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Step 8: Formatting the Graph

6. Select Layout

Add Axis Labels and Chart Title to Produce

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Scatter Plot of Example Data

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Adding a Linear Trendline

1. Right click on any data point and select the ‘Add Trendline’ option.

2. Select Linear as the regression type (note that there are other options available

3. You can opt to show the equation of the line on the chart

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Now You Try To Add A Trendline…

Q: How many births and deaths would we expect in 1998?

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• Using these equations, we can predict the numbers of births and deaths expected in 1998:

• Births = 4,324,516• Deaths = 2,332,540

• Do you see any problem with these predictions?

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Editing Excel Graphs

• Once a graph has been created by Excel you may need to edit a legend, title, label, etc.

• Place the cursor over the item to be edited and press the right mouse button and a menu will appear (Format or Clear)

• Choosing Format should allow you to edit the graph feature.

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Copying Excel Charts and Tables into Word

• Select the Graph or Chart• Right click and select copy OR press

ctrl-C (shortcut).• Select the area in the Word document

where you want to place the chart or table

• Right click and select paste OR press ctrl-V (shortcut)

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How to control the display of significant figures in Excel

In order to apply Significant Figure rules in Excel follow the steps below:•Select the cell(s) for which you

want to change the number presentation.

• Right-click and select 'Format Cells from the drop-down menu

NOTE: Excel keeps full precision of calculations internally.

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This opens the dialog box shown here. The Decimal places selection allows you to limit the number of significant figures the cell will display.

How to control the display of significant figures in Excel

YOU NEED ONLY TO APPLY THE RULES TO THE CELLS IN WHICH FINAL RESULTS ARE CALCULATED!!!

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How to control the display of significant figures in Excel

• If display requirements can’t be met by the cell formatting method described previously, a function called MROUND can be used.

• Example: If a calculation in Excel comes out to be 5344.78, but you have determined there are only two significant digits you could display this cell (or in an alternate cell) using =MROUND(5344.78,100). This would display 5300.

Can be a cell reference

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Formulas and the Excel Function Library

• Formulas are used to calculate values in a cell in a worksheet based on values stored in other cells and/or using the Excel function library.

• Examples of Excel functions include SUM, AVERAGE, MEDIAN, SIN, EXP, COSH and PMT.

• There are hundreds of functions available.

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• To manually enter a formula, start by selecting a cell and typing =. Then enter your formula (for example =b1+a4). Alternately select the cell and enter = followed by the formula in the formula bar.

• Operators are * for multiplication, / for division, and ^ for exponentiation.

• Note that e is not defined (use EXP).

Formulas and the Excel Function Library

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• To use the function library, click Insert…Function.

• An alternative is to type the function name in the cell or function bar.

• Remember to use proper cell referencing (described later)!

Formulas and the Excel Function Library

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Insert…FunctionThe Excel function library contains hundreds of built-in functions.

From the 'Formulas' Tab select Insert Function. This allows you to select the function you need and to see how to use it.

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Cell Referencing• The dollar sign ($) is used in cell

references to control what happens when you use the fill handle, or a straight copy and paste, to re-apply a formula in cell(s) in other rows and/or columns.• B12 – relative reference to value in cell

B12• $B12 – column fixed, but row can change• B$12 – row fixed, but column can change• $B$12- absolute reference to value in

cell B12

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Example:

When the cursor is placed on the fill handle ofCell C3 and dragged downwards,

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Then the equations become:

Note that the reference to cell A3 does not changewhile the reference to B3 is incremented

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Cell Referencing Challenge

Enter a formula in cell B2 so that it can be dragged down and across to create this multiplication table

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Challenge Answer

•If you entered =$A2*B$1, then you know most everything you’ll need to know about cell referencing!

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Another ExampleCreate an Excel worksheet to plot the following function:

x(t) = 10 exp(-0.5t) sin(3t +2)over the range 0 t 20 seconds as a scatter plot at 1 second intervals.

Expected Result

x(t) = 10 exp(-0.5t) sin(3t +2)

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

0 5 10 15 20

t (sec)

x(t)

x(t)

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Type in the equation as shown and copy itinto the other cells.

Now you can plotthe function.

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Assignment

•Refer to syllabus