Using Excel

A spreadsheet program displays a grid of cells, each of which can contain text, numbers or formulas. Spreadsheets are very useful for many kinds of record-keeping and calculation tasks, and being able to use a spreadsheet is a basic skill you should know in the modern age, like using a word processor. There are several spreadsheet programs widely available, and they all operate similarly. Microsoft Excel is the most widespread, and the one we'll be using.

Below is a list of essential Excel 2007 skills, in order of increasing sophistication. Click on each link to see a video introducing that topic.

Just starting out using Excel? Essential skills are covered in videos 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17
These skills are handy occasionally: videos 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20
Advanced: videos 13, 21

1. Enter data into cells
2. Use data validation
3. Change data formatting
4. Sort data
5. Use Greek letters, subscripts and superscripts
6. Make x-y (scatter) plots
7. Cut-n-paste plots into Word documents
8. Split and freeze
9. Hide cells
10. Add comments
11. Change axis labels, gridlines, backgrounds and other design features of a graph
12. Make a best-fit line or curve
13. Make histograms (Before making histograms for the first time, you have to install the Analysis ToolPak.)
14. Add additional plots to an existing graph
15. Enter basic formulas in cells, and copy formulas, using relative references
16. Enter basic formulas in cells, using absolute references and named cells
17. Show formulas
18. Protect data and formulas from accidental modification
19. Use statistical functions
20. Conditional formatting
21. Add VBA controls —   Part 1: What are VBA Controls? and Part 2: Creating VBA Controls

Here is an archive of physics-related Excel spreadsheets.

The Clemson University Physics Department has an excellent set of Excel Tutorials, which start from scratch and reach a quite advanced level. I recommend reading Section 1 (Terminology), Section 2 (Arithmetic) and the first three subsections (i, ii, and iii) of Section 3 (Basic Actions) for a quick introducion to using Excel.