In this chapter, we will discuss the use of spreadsheets in solving engineering
problems. Before the introduction of electronic spreadsheets, engineers wrote their
own computer programs. Computer programs were typically written for problems
where more than a few hand calculations were required. FORTRAN was a common
programming language that was used by many engineers to perform numerical com-
putations. Although engineers still write computer programs to solve complex engi-
neering problems, simpler problems can be solved with the help of a spreadsheet.
Compared to writing a computer program and debugging it, spreadsheets are much
easier to use, to record, organize, and analyze data using formulas that are input by
the user. Spreadsheets are also used to show the results of an analysis in the form of
charts. Because of their ease of use, spreadsheets are common in many other disci-
plines, including business, marketing, and accounting.
This chapter begins by discussing the basic makeup of Microsoft Excel, a common
spreadsheet. We will explain how a spreadsheet is divided into rows and columns, and
how to input data or a formula into an active cell. We will also explain the use of
other tools such as Excel’s mathematical, statistical, and logical functions. Plotting the
results of an engineering analysis using Excel is also presented. If you are already famil-
iar with Excel, you can skip Section 14.1 and 14.2 without the loss of continuity.
14.1 Microsoft Excel–Basic Ideas
We will begin by explaining the basic components of Excel; then once you have a good under-
standing of these concepts, we will use Excel to solve some engineering problems. As is the
case with any new areas you explore, the spreadsheet has its own terminology. Therefore, make
sure you spend a little time at the beginning to familiarize yourself with the terminology, so
you can follow the examples later. A typical Excel window is shown in Figure 14.1. The main
components of the Excel window, which are marked by arrows and numbered as shown in
Figure 14.1 are1.Title bar: Contains the name of the current active workbook.
2.Menu bar (tab): Contains the commands used by Excel to perform certain tasks.
3.Toolbar buttons: Contains push buttons (icons) that execute commands used by Excel.
4.Active cell: A worksheet is divided into rows and columns. A cell is the box that you see as
the result of the intersection of a column and a cell.Active cellrefers to a specific selected cell.
5.Formula bar: Shows the data or the formula used in the active cell.
6.Name box: Contains the address of the active cell.
7.Column header: A worksheet is divided into rows and columns. The columns are marked
by A, B, C, D, and so on.
8.Row header: The rows are identified by numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on.14.1 Microsoft Excel—Basic Ideas 419
Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).圀圀圀⸀夀䄀娀䐀䄀一倀刀䔀匀匀⸀䌀伀䴀圀圀圀⸀夀䄀娀䐀䄀一倀刀䔀匀匀⸀䌀伀䴀