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Example 1 – Monthly Expenses
A spreadsheet to keep track of monthly expenses can be easily created in Excel. When
Excel is opened, the screen will display a blank spreadsheet:
The spreadsheet is organized by columns (A,B,C,…) and rows(1,2,3,…). To designate a certain
position on the spreadsheet, list the column and the row. The first position is A1.
Data and labels can be entered by using the keyboard and mouse, or scroll using the arrow
keys.
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You can select the format for the cells on your spreadsheet, depending on the type of data
you are recording. In this example the data is currency.
If you want to sum expenses on your spreadsheet, highlight the box in which you want the
sum to appear, and then select the Σ button on the toolbar. Excel will show you which cells it
will add. If this is not correct, you can select the cells by highlighting the cells with the
mouse. Notice a range of cells is identified using a colon. The cells from B5 to B11 are
identified as B5:B11.
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In the screen shown below, sums have been added for each category, and a total sum for
these four months is also shown in cell G12.
Spreadsheets can be additionally formatted in many ways. You can change the font, color
and size of text. Cells can be shaded and outlined, and clip-art can be added.
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Creating a Pie Chart with Excel
A pie chart is a nice way to show the breakdown of monthly expense. To create any kind of
chart or graph, highlight the data you wish to graph, and then select the “chart wizard” icon
on the toolbar. This can be identified by the bar graph symbol. After you have selected the
chart wizard, you will be prompted to choose the type of graph you wish to create.
Select the chart type, and then click next. A preview of the graph will be displayed:
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Any chart can be created in a new sheet, or as an object in the existing sheet.
The final spreadsheet and pie chart is shown below:
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Example 2: Using functions in a spreadsheet.
Excel is time-saving because it will perform all of the required mathematical operations for
you. As an example, the spreadsheet shown below can be created to calculate the diameter,
circumference, and volume of a sphere given the radius. Remember from Geometry that the
diameter is 2 x radius, the circumference is 2Πr, and the volume of a sphere is (4/3) Πr 3.
Values in cells can be added (+), subtracted (-), multiplied (*), divided (/), and raised to
powers (^). Notice in the cell highlighted below, the operation is shown as “= 2 * A5”. This
will multiply 2 times the value in cell A5.
Additionally, Excel has many functions which can be added to cells. These functions allow
you apply math and trig functions to cell values, and perform financial and statistical
operations on data. The function used in determining the circumference of our sphere is the
value for Pi. To introduce a function into a cell, select the “Insert, Function” from the
toolbar.
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To calculate circumference, the function will be “ = Pi * 2 * A5”.
To find volume, the function will be “ = (4/3) * Pi * (r^3).
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To copy these functions into other rows, highlight the cells you wish to copy, and drag the
box in the lower right hand corner of the highlighted cells. Excel will automatically adjust
your formulas for the new row and column locations. In other words, the cell copied to B6
will be “ = 2*A6” rather than “ = 2*A5”.
The data and calculations are now displayed for all 10 values of R:
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The spreadsheet can be formatted so that the cells are larger, and the values are centered
and rounded to two decimal places.
A bar graph of the data can be easily created to compare the values of diameter,
circumference and volume for spheres of different radii. Highlight the first four rows (the
labels and r=1, r=2, r=3). Select the chart wizard, and select “column graph”. A preview of
the graph will be displayed:
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Example 3: Graphing X-Y data and finding the slope and equation of the line
Excel is also useful in analyzing data for two or more variables. Begin with a data table with
the x values in column A and the y values in column B.
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Highlight the data (and labels if present) and select the chart wizard.
Select “x-y scatter” as the chart type:
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A preview of the plotted data points will be displayed:
Add titles and labels to the graph. The Axes, Gridlines, Legend, and Data can also be
formatted in the “Chart Options area.
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Finish the chart:
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To apply a line of best fit to your data, select “Chart” on the toolbar.
In this example, the data is linear, so select “Linear” trend in graph Type.
Select “Options” and “Display equation on chart”. This will add the equation of the line in
y=mx+b format to your graph.
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The finished x-y graph and spreadsheet is shown below:
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Finally, the graph can be formatted.
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