NUMERICAL METHODS

WITH COMPUTING
LABORATORY
Activity no. 1

Familiarization With Excel

Submitted by:
Eusebio, Jan Rafael B.
2011103567
ECE60L-C11

Engr. Marc Cabrera

Instructor

Score

Interpretation of Data

In this experiment, we familiarized ourselves and utilized Microsoft

Office Excel as a computational machine. Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet
application that features calculation, graphing tools and some programming
language.

Figure 1: Microsoft Excel Window

Microsoft Excels functions greatly benefit making a class record. A
class record is a record of data, basically composed of grades of students,
that describes every students performance in the class. These data are
commonly numerical and most of the time it requires statistical methods to
describe the final data. These statistical methods include mean, median,
mode, variance, standard deviation, skew, kurtosis, sum, min and max.
These methods determine the performance of the class as a whole.
Besides performing basic arithmetic and mathematical functions,
modern spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel provide built-in functions for
common statistical operations. Most of the statistical methods mentioned

above are commonly computed with such formulas some are determined by
inspection. Those formulas are not lengthy but if used with lot of data, the
answer can be erroneous. A class record is commonly composed of 30 or
more students with each student composing 5 or more examination grades.
A method of paper and pen is not convenient enough to perform these
statistical methods. Fortunately, Microsoft Excel is not only a basic
spreadsheet program but it can perform different mathematical functions
that also include statistics.
After the individual grades are encoded, the data is complete. With the
help of the Microsoft Excel function bar, those statistical methods can be
completed. Every statistical methods mentioned above can be performed by
the Microsoft Excel.

Figure 2: Microsoft Excel Function Bar

The function bar works by entering the function and enclosing the data
to be computed. Each statistical method has a unique function code to be
entered in the function bars. This also includes methods that can be solved
by inspection. After solving for the final average, these averages are to be
transmuted to the final grade equivalents. This can be possible by using the
if function.
Also, the Microsoft Excel can convert these data into graphical form by
inserting chart. In the Insert Menu bar, there is a Charts window that can
make us choose what kind of graph to use. The users may adjust any stored
value and observe the effects on the calculated values and the chart.

Figure 3: Charts
Compared to the paper and pen method, Microsoft Excel is very much
faster and is not prone to errors. The only possible causes of error in using
Microsoft Excel are typographical errors and wrong encoding of data.
Basically, Spreadsheets have replaced paper-based systems and is normally
used in any context where tabular lists are built and sorted.

Conclusion

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that features calculation,

graphing tools and some programming language.

Users interact with Microsoft Excel primarily through cells.
Microsoft Excel has the basic features of all spreadsheets, using a grip
of cells arranged in numbered rows and letter-named columns to

organize data.
The key feature of a spreadsheet like Excel is the ability for a formula
to refer to the contents of other cells, which may in turn be the result

of the formula.
It can display data as line graphs, histograms and charts generated

from specified groups of cells.

The displayed charts are dynamically updated if the content of the

specified cells change.

This is very useful for what-if analysis since many cases can be rapidly

investigated without manual recalculation.

The users may adjust any stored value and observe the effects on the

calculated values and the chart.

Microsoft Excel can use a wide variety of functions included in its

program.
It can also use user-defined functions with Visual Basic Programming

encrypted in the software.

Spreadsheets have replaced paper-based systems throughout the
business world.