Using Average

[goldcomac]

I'm tracking my MPG's for my car. Column A has the odometer reading, B
is Gallons, C is Miles Traveled, D is MPG, and E is Average. I just
started doing this three-fillups ago, so my average right now consists
of =AVERAGE(D35). If I change the "D5" to something greather than 5,
I get a #DIV/0! message. I'd rather not change that 5 to a 6 when I
want my next calculation and then to a 7 and so on. Is there way to do
this so I don't have to manually change the number each time?

Thanks.

 

[James Silverton]

Hello, (e-mail address removed)!
You wrote on 15 Oct 2006 12:50:56 -0700:

g> I'm tracking my MPG's for my car. Column A has the odometer
g> reading, B is Gallons, C is Miles Traveled, D is MPG, and E
g> is Average. I just started doing this three-fillups ago, so
g> my average right now consists of =AVERAGE(D35). If I
g> change the "D5" to something greather than 5, I get a
g> #DIV/0! message. I'd rather not change that 5 to a 6 when I
g> want my next calculation and then to a 7 and so on. Is there
g> way to do this so I don't have to manually change the number
g> each time?

I doubt if you really want to average individual mpgs. Why not
add the gallons used and divide it by the odometer reading (less
whatever was its starting value) to get the overall mpg?

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not

 

[jim]

One solution would be to edit your MPG calculation to not render error
messages. Try something like this:

D3: =IF(ISERROR(C3/B3),"",C3/B3)

This formula says "If calculating mileage returns an error (as it will
if I haven't entered miles or gallons yet!), leave the cell blank.
Otherwise, do the math."

Then when AVERAGE steps in, it isn't thrown by these error messages.
Instead, it'll just ignore the blanks.


Jim

 

[James Silverton]

(e-mail address removed) on Sun, 15 Oct 2006 16:21:18 -0400:

g>> I'm tracking my MPG's for my car. Column A has the odometer
g>> reading, B is Gallons, C is Miles Traveled, D is MPG, and E
g>> is Average. I just started doing this three-fillups ago, so
g>> my average right now consists of =AVERAGE(D35). If I
g>> change the "D5" to something greather than 5, I get a
g>> #DIV/0! message. I'd rather not change that 5 to a 6 when I
g>> want my next calculation and then to a 7 and so on. Is
g>> there way to do this so I don't have to manually change the
g>> number each time?

JS> I doubt if you really want to average individual mpgs. Why
JS> not add the gallons used and divide it by the odometer
JS> reading (less whatever was its starting value) to get the
JS> overall mpg?

Sorry, wrong way round (too much lunch , that would be
gallons per mile!


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.comcast.not