FUN- ctioning Around in Excel
by
Priscilla Alexander
This write-up is for students who are learning how to create functions with excel.
Excel can be used for a plethora of things. In this case we will use excel to create a table of x and y values. From this table we will create a graph.
How to create a table in Excel
Label cell A3 as x values and label cell B3 as y values. In cell A4 put any values you choose. In cell B4 input the equation
= A4^2+1
Then highlight the cell and go to the right corner and drag the arrow down until you have the same amount of rows as the rows in column A.
How to create a graph in Excel
Highlight the two columns than click on the charts tab. Then select what tpye of chart you would like to make. Excel will graph if for you.
Create a table and graph for the function
Now you try it for this function
In conclusion, excel can be used in a plethora of ways. It is a good tool for mathematicians to use to calculate a range of mathematical problems. In this exercise we used excel to create tables and graphs that could be represented by functions.