do you need to type reports or use Excel?

[robert zellmer]

1)  You do not need to type your report.  You can write it in PEN.
         However, if you do make sure it's fairly neat, certainly neat
         enough for someone to read it easily.

         If you type your report I would suggest writing out the sample
         calc.  It can be quite tedious to type eqns and I don't want you
         "wasting" time typing them up when you don't have to.

2)  You do not have to use Excel.  However, I would suggest learning
         how to use it.  It will come in handy later in the semester.  
There
         are a few labs which will require a lot of calculations and 
graphs.
         They will go much quicker if you use Excel.  Besides, it's a very
         useful skill to have.

3)  If you use Excel (or a similar program) you can do the calculations in
         Excel.  You will still have to show sample calculations.  If 
you make
         the Excel sheet look like the report sheet (with titles, 
headings, etc.)
         you can print the Excel sheet and turn that in as the data 
page.  You
         still need to turn in the data page from the manual (even if 
blank).
         You also have to make sure you have units (best to put them in the
         headings) and have the correct number of sig. fig.   You can't set
         sig. fig. in Excel but can set the decimal places to get the 
correct
         sig. fig.

4)  If you are typing your report using something like Word and you've
         done your graphs in Excel just print them directly from Excel.  
You
         should set the margins to 0.1 inches for your graphs in Excel.  
If you
         then transfer them to Word it messes up the margins.  Print the 
graphs
         from Excel and simply insert them in your report.  It's 
probably best
         to print the report sheets from Excel as well if you've done 
them in
         Excel.

Dr. Zellmer