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.  You can
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 1250* 
<http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/%7Erzellmer/chem1250/faq/faq_1250.htm>

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

*Using Excel for Calculations and Graphs* 
<http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/%7Erzellmer/chem125/faq/excel.txt>

*Using Excel 2007 (Some differences to Excel 2003)* 
<http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/%7Erzellmer/chem125/faq/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 exp and
very true for Exp 17.  If you don't use Excel (or some other graphing
program) for exp 17 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 17 if you are doing things
by hand and make a calculation error and don't catch it before
making the graphs.   You can use Excel for exp 1 to do the calc.
and graphs.  Look at the example for exp 14 (vapor pressure
exp) which you will do later in the semester.  It shows how to program
in eqns and get more than one data set on a graph.

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?*

You can find the following link by going to the "Using MS Excel"
link above or the "Helpful Tidbits" link.  It explains options.

*What if I don't have Excel?* 
<http://chemistry.osu.edu/%7Erzellmer/excel/no_excel.htm>


*Do you have to use Excel?**

*
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.

*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 print the Excel sheet and turn that in as the data
page.  You do not have to copy all the data over to the data sheet.
However, 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.

*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.  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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