Spreadsheets

=Spreadsheets and Modelling=

Activity 1
The purpose of this activity is to revise some of the skills learned in spreadsheets before.You may revise your skills from Microsoft Excel or try registering with www.editgrid to see their sharing facilities.

1. Open the file weatherdata.xls from the R: drive or http://www.editgrid.com/user/CHancox/weatherdata This file stores information about the average rainfall and temperature in the different countries

2. Format the document, by changing font colour, size, type as well as cell colours.

3. Update the spreadsheet by calculating the minimum, maximum and average rainfall figures for each country.

4. Create a line graph to compare the temperature of two countries. Then create a second graph to compare the rainfall of two different countries using a bar or column chart. Remember to format these before printing. Copy and paste these graphs to a wordprocessing document and write a short paragraph to accompany each to explain what each graph shows.

5. Create an if statement in cell E20 that will determine if a particular month is in the wet season. The if statement should look up values in E19 and display the message ‘This is the wet season, if the value of rainfall >=100 mm and the message ‘Not wet at this time’ if the rainfall < 100.

Copy and paste the revised spreadsheet and charts into a Word Docuement with your answers from Activity 4.

Activity 2
Try out the Greenfingers – Extended Level Spreadsheet Activity – which will set up a model to create an invoice for a garden centre tea shop.

**Activity 3**
Make notes on the following key terminology: Cell, cell format (number, text, value, function, calculation, date, currency), row, column, label, macro, replicate, template, worksheet, “what if” questions, range, absolute and relative reference.

Use Tomorrows Technology and You p 155 - to help you with your definitions.

Add your definitions here a) Discuss the advantages and disadvantages or storing information on a spreadsheet as apposed to a paper system, what would the alternatives be? b) Setting macros – what are they and how do you use them. Discuss what macros are and how you used them in your practice activities c) Templates – what are they, how do you use them? – How can they save you time? Look at the templates made available to you and identify the ones that you find useful. d) What are absolute and relative cell references and when would you use them? e) Brainstorm and list when spreadsheet models are used in life? f) What link is there between spreadsheets and databases? How can you import and export data to and from a spreadsheet (Hint: use exporting and office links) g) Reliability and Integrity – To what extent can a scientist, business man or Govt official rely on spreadsheets to make decisions. h) What steps can a person take to ensure that the data on a spreadsheet is reliable? (read Eradicating Spreadsheet Errors TT&Y p 162 to help you) i) Visit a number of weather websites and give a brief account of the features included on these pages.
 * Activity 4 – Now answer these questions**


 * Assessment:** Nov 05 Paper 1 Qu 2

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