BIOL 1406

Prelab 1.12

How do I use a spreadsheet program such as Excel to organize data in a table and calculate some simple statistics?

In this section of the Prelab, you will learn how to use a spreadsheet program like Excel to:

  1. organize data in a table
  2. calculate simple statistics like the mean, percent error of the mean, and standard deviation of a random variable
  3. carry out the Student’s t-test

 

Rather than draw tables by hand and calculate statistics with a hand-held calculator, it is usually easier and faster to organize and analyze your data with a spreadsheet program, such as Microsoft’s Excel.  Like all Microsoft programs, Excel has an extensive help feature that is useful for people who are somewhat familiar with the program.  However, if you have never used Excel before, it is probably more helpful to consult one of the numerous Excel tutorials that are available on the Internet.  To locate these tutorials, do a Google search using the words: excel tutorial.  You can add additional terms to your search if you wish to find tutorials on specific features of Excel.

 

YOUR TURN


To help you learn the features of Excel required for this class, 3 Excel quizzes have been posted on the Internet. As part of this prelab section, you must complete Excel Quiz 1 and Excel Quiz 2. After you have completed each quiz, save your spreadsheet and then send an email to your instructor with the spreadsheets from both quizzes attached. Links to the quizzes are provided below.

 

Excel Quiz 1 describes the basic features of Excel and explains how to enter data into a table (or spreadsheet) made up of horizontal rows and vertical columns. Excel Quiz 1 also explains how to enter formulas into your spreadsheet. You can find another description of how to enter data into an Excel spreadsheet in Appendix B at the end of this lab manual.

Excel Quiz 1 for Excel 2007 (use this link if you plan to use Excel 2007 - recommended)

Excel Quiz 1 for Excel 97- 2003 (use this link if you plan to use an earlier version of Excel)

 

Excel Quiz 2 explains how to use Excel to calculate statistics such as mean, percent error of the mean, and standard deviation. It also describes the Student’s t-test and explains how to use Excel to carry out the Student’s t-test. You can find another description of how to calculate mean and standard deviation with Excel in Appendix B at the end of this lab manual.

Excel Quiz 2 for Excel 2007 (use this link if you plan to use Excel 2007 - recommended)

Excel Quiz 2 for Excel 97- 2003 (use this link if you plan to use an earlier version of Excel)

 

Remember to send an email to your instructor with the spreadsheets from both quizzes attached!!!
 

 

A Useful link: If you don't have Excel on your computer and would like to have a similar program, OpenOffice.org provides an open source spreadsheet program very similar to Excel. Files can be saved in Excel format making it very compatible. Visit OpenOffice to get more information and download the program.

 

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