After completing this activity, students will be able to:
- Learn basic Excel functionality, including data entry, mathematical manipulations, built-in functions (AVERAGE, STDEV), importing data, etc.
- Use Excel to plot data (scatter plot) and format for scientific reports.
- Find the best-fit line for x-y data using least squares regression. This will be accomplished using two different methods in Excel:
- Add trendline to scatter plot
- LINEST function
- Construct calibration curve
- Assess “goodness of fit” using R2, and uncertainties in m, and b
- Calculate the concentration of an unknown and its uncertainty using a calibration curve
Determine other “figures-of-merit” for a calibration curve
Ryan West, University of San Francisco (rmwest2@usfca.edu)
