General questions about using Excel or similar programs

[robert zellmer]

I get a lot of questions about how to use Excel and whether
you should use it.  I know if you don't know how to use Excel
it may take a little bit of time to figure things out.  This has
been covered in lab for exp 1 (SOL).  You can also go to
Microsoft's Support page for free tutorials,

https://support.office.com/

I have several links explaining how to do certain things in
Excel.  I'm using a much older (but wiser) version of Excel
(2003).  My explanations generally pertain to that version.
I do have a link that explains some differences between
this older version and the newer versions (mainly 2007,
the more recent versions are similar to 2007).

You can find these links by going to the following links first,

*Using MS Excel for Reports* 
<http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/%7Erzellmer/excel/excel.htm>

*Helpful Tidbits for 1220* 
<http://www.chemistry.osu.edu/%7Erzellmer/chem1220/faq/faq_1220.htm>

The same links can be found in both places.  The specific
links are,

*Using Excel for Calculations and Graphs* 
<https://cbc-wb01x.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/%7Erzellmer/excel/excel.txt>

*Using Excel 2007 (Some differences to Excel 2003)* 
<https://cbc-wb01x.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/%7Erzellmer/excel/Excel2007.txt>

I highly encourage the use of Excel, both for calculations and
doing graphs.

Even if it takes you a bit of time to learn what you need to know it
will save you a lot of time in the end.  This is true for most exps and
very true for Exp 3 (BAR, similar to my example for the old exp 17)
in Chem 1220.  If you don't use Excel (or some other graphing program)
it will take a lot of time to complete the calculations and graphs. Don't
even get me started on what kind of grief you will experience for Exp 3
if you are doing things by hand and make a calculation error and don't
catch it before making the graphs.   The calculations in Exp 3 are simple
but there's about 200 calculations.  You don't want to have to do all of
these by hand and especially not all over again if you make a mistake.
Look at the example for exp 14 (dHv, vapor pressure exp) below my
"Laboratory" link.  It shows how to program in eqns and get more than
one data set on a graph (you learned how to do this the 2nd lab period for
the SOL exp).  If you have trouble you can always stop by to ask questions.

One question students always ask when using Excel is how to
set the significant figures in the tables and graphs.  I've explained
this in the "Using Excel for Calculations and Graphs" document.
You can't actually set the sig. fig. but you can set the number of
decimal places Excel displays in order to get the correct number
of sig. fig.  If you do this in your tables before plotting, the labels
on your axes will contain the same number of decimal places
(sig. fig.) as in the tables.

*What if you don't have Excel?*

As stated in lab and a message from the lab director, you can get
Microsoft Office for free on campus.

*Do you have to use Excel?**

*You do not have to use Excel to do your calculations.  However, I
would suggest learning how to use it.  It will come in handy this
semester.  There are a few labs which will require a lot of calculations.
They will go much quicker if you use Excel.  Besides, it's a very
useful skill to have.  You should at least be using it or something
else for the graphs.  Don't do them by hand.

*Do I still have to show sample calculations if I use Excel to do them?**
*
As stated above, I encourage the use of Excel (or a similar program) to
do your calculations.  That's really the best thing to do in terms of saving
time.*You will still have* *to show sample calculations in the report.*
Just printing the equations as they appear in Excel is not sufficient.

If you make the Excel sheet look like the report sheet (with titles,
headings, etc.) you can include the Excel sheet in your template as the
data pages (the Presentation of Data pages in the template). Several
templates tell you what tables to make in Excel and to include them in
the report.  You do not have to copy all the data over to the data sheet.
You 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.

*What do I do about margins and page orientation in Word and Excel not**
**matching up?
***
Tough question because it depends on what version you're using. Often times
Word will not keep the margins you set in Excel and you have to adjust 
things
in word to get the margins you set in Excel.  Same for orientation. Excel by
default does graphs in Landscape mode (x-axis on long edge of paper).  They
tend to look better that way.  I do have a link with some instructions 
using a
more recent versions of Word and Excel at the *Using MS Excel for 
Reports* <http://chemistry.osu.edu/%7Erzellmer/excel/excel.htm> link.

I hope these things help.

Dr. Zellmer
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