This Excel 5.0 Worksheet is used to fit a line and curve through an input set of data points. It uses Least Squares numerical methods to approximate the best fit line and curve through the points.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Type or copy your X and Y data points into rows A and B, respectively, where the cell area is grayed(beginning at A5 and B5). Up to 500 data points can be input.
IMPORTANT!!! The X data points MUST be in ASCENDING order from cell A5 to cell A504. For example, if your X values are from 1 to 10 you must place 1 with its corresponding Y value first (in cell A5) and continue down with 10 being the last entry. Otherwise the approximations will not work.
In cell G4 type the number of the last X value in your data set (i.e., the largest X value.)
In cell G21 the slope value (m) is printed for the approximated line.
In cell G22 the y-intercept (b) is listed for the approximated line.
In cells Q19, Q20, and Q21 the coefficients of the polynomial that represents the best fit curve are listed.
ALSO IMPORTANT... If you are having any problems with the graphs not working correctly you may have to close and re-open the worksheet to initialize the input cells(this only happens sometimes when the cells are deleted. Then re-enter or paste in your data again.
A LITTLE ABOUT THE AUTHOR...
Mark McConnell is a structural engineering grad student at Tufts University in Medford, MA (in the Boston area). I like photography, food, and programming on the side.
Check out the Tufts Home Page on the Web at http://www.tufts.edu
and my home page at http://www.tufts.edu/~mmcconne/
This is FREEWARE. I hope you can use it. If you like it and find it helpful, I have other numerical method spreadsheets that I can pass along to you. Please email me at:
mmcconne@emerald.tufts.edu
for comments, suggestions, just to let me know that you like it, etc.
IN NO EVENT SHALL LICENSOR OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY
CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF THE
