REALLY easy question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Thatgirl
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Thatgirl

I just don't know excel. period.

I have a bunch of formulas like 18+2x and 19+15x I'd like to make a line
graph to compare them... (x=1,2,3,4,etc.)

How do you translate those into excel-speak?
 
Yup, that's pretty easy.

You might like to leave the first row at the top for headers so you can
explain what's in the table below, but I'll get to that in a second.

In the first column, from row 2 onwards, put in the values of x, e.g. cell
a2 contains "1", cell a3 contains "2".
(If you want to be really whizzy, use autofill. Highlight the 1 and the 2,
put the cursor to the bottom right of the lower cell until it turns to a dark
cross and drag it down as far as you need, the values in the cells you drag
over should then be 3, 4, 5 etc).

In the second column insert the formulas that you want to use, so in cell
B2, if you're investigating "19+15x" insert the following in cell B2 and
press return:

=19+(15*a2)

For the heading to column B insert "19+15x" in cell B1. That doesn't start
with = so it will just display like that.
You can use autofill again to drag downwards.

(You could also do a single line where you see one instance at a time but
you said you wanted to compare, so I won't go into that one.)

Alternatively, read the help file to see what Excel says about entering
formulas.
 
Homework?

Put the values of x in consecutive cells in, say, column A.

Then in column B you can enter your formula, but use A rather than x,
i.e.:

=18 + 2*A1

in B1, and then copy down.

Do a similar thing for the other formulae you have in adjacent
columns. Then you can highlight the data and click on the Chart
Wizard, which will take you through things in nice easy steps.

Hope this helps.

Pete
 
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