Excel

In this article:

  1. Excel Overview & Access
  2. Excel Tutorial Guide
  3. Excel Video Guide
  4. Excel Chemistry Tutorials

Part 1: Overview & Access

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows data to be stored, analyzed, and visualized in charts, graphs, and tables. Excel features powerful mathematical features which can create formulas to fit data and also calculate desired quantities, and is even capable of programmable options such as slider bars to model system behavior under varying parameters and engage students in interactive learning.

Excel is sold by Microsoft and is available for individual purchase or bundled with Microsoft Office, however, most school computers have Excel pre-installed.

Part 2: Excel Basics

This guide covers many topics in Excel including:

  • Entering data
  • Building formulas
  • Relative and absolute addressing
  • Built-in functions
  • Graphing data
  • Fitting curves to data
  • Slider bars

This guide covers the basics needed for those new to Excel or needed review while covering more advanced topics for those who are more familiar with Excel. There is a link at the end of the document for an even more in depth guide to the features of Excel.

There are two versions of this document. One is for Excel 2003, and the other for Excel 2007.

Excel Tutorial 2003 (DOC)

Excel Tutorial 2007 (DOC)

Part 3: Excel Video Guide

A video covering several functions of Excel can be found on the IVT in the "Tools" section, or directly here. This narrated video guide to excel covers several topics in a step by step fashion. Topics include:

  • Entering data into excel spreadsheets
  • Building equations utilizing both relative and absolute cell addressing
  • Using basic math functions built into excel to compute sums, averages, standard deviations, etc.
  • Creating and edit/modify graphs of user-defined data sets
  • Creating slider bars

By the end of tutorial you should have a solid grasp on how to use excel and many of its functions.

Part 4: Excel Chemistry Tutorials

In this section multiple chemistry activities that utilize Excel are presented. Topics cover gases, acid-base chemistry, kinetics, and stoichiometry. Please note that the stoichiometry documents are meant to be used together.

Exploration of Chemical Kinetics Using Excel (PDF)

Exploring the Behavior of Ideal Gases (PDF)

Virtual Exploration of Acids and Bases (PDF)

Stoichiometry and Excel:  Limiting Reagents (DOC)

Urea Stoichiometry (XLS)

NH3 Stoichiometry (XLS)

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