Spreadsheet Programs

As engineers, we will find it very useful in our respective fields to be able to gather data, lay it out in a recognizable format, and interpret it. The methods in which it can be laid out and interpreted are endless. This chapter will cover the use of spreadsheets, a way of arranging the data into rows and columns that can be edited at the user’s wish to perform specific functions and formulas on the data that is placed in it. After the data has been entered, and the correct functions/formulas have been performed on it, the data can be displayed in graphs, which is inherently supports by most modern spreadsheet programs. Needless to say, spreadsheets have the ability to make our tasks as engineers very simple, from handling all of the number crunching, to the visualization of results.

Examples of Modern Spreadsheet Programs

• Microsoft Excel
• OpenOffice Calc

For the purposes of this class, all examples will be given in Microsoft Excel 2007 format.

Spreadsheets can handle everything from summations on a given range to averages and series. It can even handle statistical information such as minimums and maximums.

One of the greatest aspects of a spreadsheet program is the ability to visualize the data we have performed operations on; in other words, the ability to graph it. Modern spreadsheet programs have this built in.

Microsoft Excel 2007