Excel for Marketing Managers

Magic Squares

Magic

Squares

Using the Application.................................................................................................................

Before copying this worksheet onto a computer for students to use, make sure
that either the cells are empty, or that it has not been solved correctly. With
protection on, the students will only be able to move to one of the nine cells in
the magic square, and will not be able to delete any of the formulas, formats, or
instructions.

Would you like to make this a pencil and paper activity? Here’s how.

1. Go to Tools → Protection → Unprotect Sheet. Remove all the numbers from
   the cells, and delete the summation formulas.


2. Click on the merged cells with “Magic Square”, and pull down and right to
   highlight the outlined cells.


3. From the File menu, select Print Area → Select Print Area. Then again
   from File menu, select Page Setup → Margins. At the bottom, click on the
   box marked Horizontally, and click OK. This will center the Magic Square
   left to right, and give lots of scribble room at the bottom for calculations.

If you have never worked with a Magic Square before, they can be pretty tricky
unless you know the key. One hint is that the middle cell must have the
number 5, and that all of the outside corners are even numbers. If you want to
see one solution, visit the “secret” website at the following location:
http://www.mrexcel.com/mathfiles.html

Do an internet search for “magic square solution” and see what you can find.