Excel Essentials

Jordan High School

International

Reasons to learn Excel

1. Most computers have it
2. Helps in math, science,
economics and business
classes (and more)
3. College
4. Employers love it,
youll be a star
5. Fast, who wants to
waste time?
6. Free programs are
similar (Google sheets)

Gathering Data (Sheep Dash)

1. Enter sheep dash into an internet search, it

should be the first result. Here is the link if you
have trouble, http://
www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/
reaction_version5.swf
2. Create a data table like the one you see on the
next slide.
3. Follow the instructions. Use your dominant
hand on the mouse to click to tranquilize the
sheep. Then repeat with your non-dominant
hand. Then use your dominant hand again. Do
this 5 times for each hand.
4. For those of you who are right handed, it will
look like this: Right, left, right, left, right, left,

Table 1: Comparing the reaction times of using

the dominant and non-dominant hand, while
playing the Sheep Dash game
trial

Dominant

Non-dominant

.365

.368

.256

.456

.223

.665

.562

.457

.314

.385

Your data table with your data,

draw here

Entering Data
1. Start entering data a couple
of rows down and over from
the top and left side. This
will give you room to add
titles and labels later
2. If you are making a list of
number in order, like 1-10,
enter the 1 and then click
on the lower right of that
box, so that you see a black
cross. Click, hold and drag
down, release and then
select fill series.

3. Enter the data that you generated from you

playing the Sheep Dash game. Do not enter
the sample data.
4. Practice using the handle on the bottom
right using fill series (to easily set up a
numbered list)
5. Make sure you never place letters in the
cells that you have entered numbers.
6. All units should be in the top row label.
7. If you ever have issues in Excel where the
numbers you enter are changed too
something you do not like, you can fix that.
8. Right click and select format cells.

Analyzing Data (Descriptive

Statistics)
1. Once you have the data set entered as shown on
the sheet, click on the Data menu at the top of the
window.
2. Data analysis should appear to the right of the
screen. If it does not, see the slide titled, What to
do if Data Analysis does not show up under the
data menu.
3. You will see a list of 20 or so statistical tests, scroll
down and select Descriptive Statistics and click OK
4. The cursor should be blinking in the Input box. Go
ahead and use the mouse to highlight the set of
data.
5. Only highlight the numbers, two columns and six
rows, including the titles to the columns.
6. Check the box titled Labels in First Row, this tells
Excel not to use the letters from the labels in the
calculation.

Click Data
Menu

Click Data
Analysis

7. Also check the boxes for Summary

Statistics and Confidence Level for
Mean
8. Click OK
9. Sometimes there are error messages
after clicking OK, usually this is because
under Output options, new worksheet
ply is not selected. Make sure new
worksheet ply is selected.
10. A new worksheet ply should appear at
the bottom with the calculations, tabs
are on the bottom left

Check
these
boxes

11. The columns might be cramped, meaning

that you cant see all the numbers in the
cells.
12. To fix this, place your cursor over the line
separating the cells at the top of the window,
so that you see a cross with an arrow
pointing to the left and right, then double
click. The column should widen out so that
your data will fit.
13. In rows 3-13, you will see several statistics:
mean, standard error, median, etc. on the
next two slides, write a definition for each,
describing what the statistic means.
14.Use Internet sources to get your definitions,
including Wikipedia, but write the definitions
in your own words.

Write down your result in the parentheses, then the

definition

Mean: (

Standard Error (

Median: (
Mode: (

)
)

Standard Deviation: (
Sample Variance: (

)
)

Skewness: (

Range: (

Minimum: (

Maximum: (

Sum: (
Count: (

)
)

Confidence Level (95.0%):

Analyzing Data (t-test)

1. The t-test is used when we want to compare two sets
of data to see if their means are significantly
different.
2. In this case, we want to see if your reaction time was
faster with your dominant or non-dominant hand.
3. We can look at the mean, which would tell us which
hand would give you a lower reaction time, but this
is not reliable.
4. Just by chance, one group will always be higher or
lower, it would be very unlikely for the means to be
the same.
5. We need a way to see if the difference in the means
is mathematically significant, which is what the ttest does.
6. If the t-test indicates a significant difference
between the two groups, then we have some
evidence to support whether or not you are faster
with your dominant or non-dominant hand

7. Click on the tab where you entered your data,

probably Sheet 1 on the tabs at the lower left.
8. Select Data Analysis from the Data menu like
you did before when you did descriptive
statistics.
9. Under Analysis Tools, select t-test: Two
Sample Assuming Equal Variance, click OK.
10.In the box titled Variable 1 range, click on the
button to the right of the box,
11.Highlight the dominant column for Variable 1
range, then click in that same button again to
get you back to the main window.
12.Click on the Variable 2 range button and
highlight the non-dominant column. Click on

Click on this button

before you highlight data
on your sheet

Check this
box before
you click
OK

13. Check the box titled Labels and click

OK.
14. Widen the columns like you did before
by double clicking between the columns
up in the heading (gray area).
15. There will be several statistics listed,
some the same as before, but only one
column after Observations.
16. This is OK, the statistics listed below
combine the two sets of data.

17. The statistic you are focused on is the p

(T<=t) two-tail number.
18. If the number is less than or equal to 0.05,
then the difference between the two groups is
significant, or meaningful.
19. For example, the t-test for the sample data
shows a two tail p-value of 0.016398. This is
less than 0.05, so there is a real difference
between dominant and non-dominant hands
when it comes to reaction time.
20. Since the mean of the non-dominant reaction
time is higher, we would say that the
dominant hand produced a significantly lower
reaction time.
21. We cannot say that we proved anything,
just that we found evidence that our
dominant hand was faster that our nondominant hand.

t-test results
1. Below, write the results when you apply the t-test
to your data.
2. Be sure to state whether or not there was a
significant difference between your left and right
hands.
3. If there was a significant difference, state which
hand you were fastest with.

Format Cells Function

1. There are many ways to alter the way that
data shows up in the cells.
2. Under the categories tab, you can change
the numbers to show up as a date,
currency, percentage or change back to
text.
3. In my experience, the most common
problem is for dates to be changed to a
format that you do not want.
4. To change the date format, click on date
and under type, select the format for
date that you want.
5. Also, you should explore the alignment
tab, where you can change a great deal of
aspects around how data appear in the cell.

What to do if Data Analysis does not

appear
1. Click on the File menu and go down to
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Options, click on that.

You should see Add-ins near the bottom,
double click on that.
A list should appear where you see Analysis
Tool Pack, select this and click Go
Make sure the box is checked next to
Analysis Tool Pack, then click OK.
Go back to the data menu, you should see
Data Analysis now on the far right.
If you are using very old version of Excel,
you should see Add-ins under the File menu.
If these instructions do not work, use
Google

Click
File

Then
click
Option
s

Click
Add-ins

Click
Analysi
s
ToolPak
Click
Go

Click
Analysis
ToolPak
box

Click OK