11/16/12

Chapter 1-2 Using EXCEL to Obtain Descriptiv e Statistics

Chapter 1-2 Using EXCEL to Obtain Descriptive Statistics

From William E. Becker, Statistics for Business and Economics Using Microsoft Excel 97, S.R.B. Publishing, 1997, p. 70. Reproduced with permission of S.R.B. Publishing. QUERY 2.7 (p. 70.): The weights of a sample of seven pennies were measured and reported to the nearest 0.02 gram to be 3.11, 3.03, 3.05, 3.15, 3.11, 2.99, and 3.01 grams. What is the approximate mean and standard deviation? ANSWER: The mean and standard deviation along with other summary measures for a sample can be obtained easily using the Descriptive Statistics routine in EXCEL for WINDOWS. (This Descriptive Statistics routine is part of the "Analysis Tool Pack" that must be added to the "Tools" menu via the "Add In" submenu within the "Tools" menu. On Indiana University Intel based machines found in all the I clusters this "Add In" has already been performed for you but if you have installed a version of EXCEL on your own machine, then this "Add In" operation will be required.) After bringing up EXCEL, do the following: 1. Type the seven penny weights into the cells A1 through A7, or bring them in from the disk file that accompanies your textbook. 2. Click on the "Tools" menu. (At the bottom of the "Tools" menu will be a submenu "Data Analysis...", if the Analysis Tool Pack has been properly installed.) 3. Clicking on "Data Analysis..." will lead to a menu from which "Descriptive Statistics" is to be selected. 4. Select "Descriptive Statistics" by pointing at it and clicking twice, or by highlighting it and clicking on the "Okay" button. 5. Within the Descriptive Statistics submenu, a. for the "input range" enter "A1:D7", assuming you typed the seven penny weights into cells A1 to A7. b. click on the "output range" button and enter the output range "C1:C16". c. click on the Summary Statistics box d. finally, click on "Okay." The following output screen will result, where the C column has been expanded by clicking on its border with the D column at the top of the spread sheet area.
A B C D E F -- -- ------------ ---- ---- ----- -- ------------ ---- ---- ---31 .1 Clm 1 oun 30 .3 ------------ --------------- ---30 .5 Ma en 3048 .626 31 .5 Sadr Err tnad ro 0025 .258 31 .1 Mda ein 30 .5 29 .9 Md oe 31 .1
www.indiana.edu/~iustats/query /chap1.htm 1/2

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Sadr Dvain tnad eito Sml Vrac ape aine Kroi utss Sens kwes Rne ag Mnmm iiu Mxmm aiu Sm u Cut on Cniec Lvl9.% ofdne ee(50)

0098 .562 0036 .052 -.03 1618 0274 .297 01 .6 29 .9 31 .5 2.5 14 7 0059 .516

From the above printout, the mean can be seen to be 3.064286 grams and the standard deviation is 0.059682 grams. Although the mean and standard deviation are reported here to six decimal places, as stated in the textbook, they are not that accurate because the original data were rounded to the nearest 0.02 grams. (Many of the other descriptive statistics in this printout that have not yet been introduced and discussed will be in later chapters of the textbook.) Go to: Examples of EXCEL Use Statistics for Business and Economics WWW Page