Spreadsheet & Graphing    Course:___________    Time:__________
Name:__________________    Partner(s):______________________

Experiments in physics involve data collection and analysis. Throughout the semester we will use excel spreadsheet program for data analysis and graphing. In this lab you will be introduced to tabulation of data, calculating new variables, and graphing using Excel. 

A. Tabulation of data and Calculating values for a new variable: Area = Length X Width.

1. Enter the following length and width data in the excel spreadsheet program. Please note that the first raw is used for titles and their units. It is customary to put units in parenthesis.

Length (cm)

Width (cm)

5.1

4.3

2.5

2.3

15.1

10.5

25

20

30.5

25.3

175

150

16.5

14.5

54.7

49.7

5.4

4.5

2. Title the third column as Area with its units. 

3. Enter the formula to calculate the area in cell C2 as, =A2*B2, and enter. Go back to cell C2 and move the mouse to the lower right corner until the white plus becomes a black plus. At this point click and drag down the mouse until cell C10 is highlighted and then release the mouse. Now the calculated area is displayed in the third column, C. 

4. Show your data table to the instructor._________________

 

B. Graphing Data                                               

Here you will enter some temperatures in degrees Celsius, convert the temperature to degrees Fahrenheit using this website, and graph Tf versus Tc.  

1. Start with a blank page and title the first column as Tc (0C) and the second column as Tf (0F).  Enter the following temperatures in degrees Celsius in the first column: -40, -20, 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, and 180.

2. Convert the above temperatures to degrees Fahrenheit using this website, and enter their values in the second column.

3. Graph Tf versus Tc: Tf on Y-axis and Tc on X-axis.

4.  Write down the temperature conversion equation: Tf = _____________________

5. Show your graph to the instructor._________________

6. Now you will plot Tc versus Tf: Tc on Y-axis and Tf on X-axis.

7.  Write down the temperature conversion equation: TC = _____________________

8. Show your graph to the instructor._________________


C. Graphing Exercises

1. The force, F as a function of distance, Z is given below, where k and F0 are constants. 

 F = kz + F0.  

Z (m)

F (N)

0.5

7.5

1.0

12

1.5

17

2.0

21.5

2.5

24

3.0

30

3.5

32

4.0

37

Plot the above data points to obtain a linear graph and determine k and F0 from the graph. Include units for k and F0. Show your graph to the instructor. 

 

k = ______________            F0 = ___________________

 

 

 

2. The distance, s as a function of time, t is given below, where a and b are constants.

                          s = a t2 + b 

t (s)

s (m)

0

1

1

3

2

9

3

19

4

33

5

51

6

73

7

99

 

Enter the above data and plot s versus t. Your graph should be a curve. Add a 2nd order polynomial trendline and determine a and b from the displayed equation. Include units for a and b. Show your graph to the instructor. 

 

a = __________________    b = ___________________

 

To get a linear graph, you need to plot s versus t2. Create t2 in the 3rd column, plot s versus t2, and obtain a and b from the graph. Include units for a and b. Show your graph to the instructor. 

 

a = __________________    b = ___________________

 


3. The emf, e in millivolt, of a thermocouple operating between a bath at temperature T and an ice water standard is given by;

 e = AT + BT2, where A and B are constants.

T (0C)   

e (mV)

10

0.8

20

2.6

30

5.4

40

9.2

50

14.0

60

19.8

70

26.6

80

34.4

 

Enter the above data and plot e versus T. Your graph should be a curve. Add a 2nd order polynomial trendline and determine A and B from the displayed equation. Include units for A and B. Show your graph to the instructor. 

 

A = __________________    B = ___________________


 

4. The period, T as a function of mass, m is given by the following equation; where k is a constant.

         

m (kg)

T (s)

0.1

0.39

0.2

0.56

0.3

0.69

0.4

0.78

0.5

0.88

1.0

1.25

1.5

1.54

2.0

1.78

3.0

2.16

4.0

2.5

5.0

2.79


Plot T versus m, add a power trendline, and determine the coefficient of the power fit. Show your graph to the instructor. 
                                    Coefficient of the power fit = ________________   

 

Using the above coefficient of the power fit calculate the value of k. k = ____________________

 

Plot a linear graph, and determine the slope, and then determine the constant k. Show your graph to the instructor. 
                        Slope = _______________    k = ___________________

 

5. This deep learning activity deals with the motion of an object starting from rest (v0 = 0) and accelerating uniformly at 6 m/s2 (a = 6 m/s2). The following kinematics equations will be used:

                       

 

  1. In Excel tabulate t and calculate v and x for every second starting from 0 and end with 25 s.  
  2. Plot v versus t and obtain the acceleration from the plot.
  3. Plot x versus t and obtain the acceleration from the plot.
  4. Show your work below (if any) and attach the data table and the two plots.