Using Excel for your LO3 and Investigation

We’ll spend the next two lessons in the library learning how to use Excel.  Download the instructions using the link below.  If you have your own LO3 data, feel free to work with those values instead of the numbers I have provided.

By the end of this activity you will be able to;

  • manipulate raw data using formulae in cells
  • plot a graph of your results
  • add error bars to your graph
  • add a line of best fit
  • calculate the gradient and y-axis intercept of your line

AH Outcome 3 diagrams

Here are the diagrams you will need for your LO3 report.  Cick on each link and then save the large image that opens up.  You can rezise them once they have been imported into your report.

turntable

stand

radian sector

turntable and stand

Later this week, we’ll look at how you can use a spreadsheet to process the data you obtained.

AH – help using Excel

This tutorial will help you with adding a line of best fit to your LO3 graph.  If you use the linest function, you can extract useful information on gradient and intercept of the line.  There are also screenshots to show how error bars can be added to individual points.

Excel Tutorial: Using LINEST function, Plotting a graph, Adding Error Bars

I have added a download link to a short pdf on the use of linest.

 

LO3 advice

Those of you working on your LO3 report this weekend might like to see what another physics teacher, Mr Hood, has to say about this aspect of your course work.  Read his blog post here.  He’s also kindly provided more detailed help in the form of an audio podcast.  Click the link below to listen.