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Excel can calculate gradients?

LearningMath

Basically i need the line of best fit to be really accurate, can excel add it in for me + calculate gradient?

Reply 1

Nonsmoking

Yes, excel can calculate a best fit line and include its equation, from which you can get the gradient.

Reply 2

LearningMath

How?

Reply 3

QuantumTheory

Right click on the point, 'Add Trend Line' then 'Display Eqn On Graph'
The gradient is the bit before the X value =)

Reply 4

LearningMath

Sorry, how do i add the line first?

Reply 5

QuantumTheory

I just said.. Right click on any point, then 'Add Trend Line'

Reply 6

LearningMath

Can't see anything... Office 2003...

EDIT: 'Any point lol', ok got it now. It's a bit of a crude line though, it only extends as far as the data... :s-smilie:

Can i make excel display the intercept?

Reply 7

majikthise

Select the option to display equation (or whatever it's called), and there's the information you need.

Reply 8

Mithent

majikthise

Select the option to display equation (or whatever it's called), and there's the information you need.

Yep. If it's a straight line, it will be in the format of:
y=mx+c

m is the gradient (change in y for each 1 change in x), and c is the intercept.

Reply 9

cowsgoquack

LearningMath

Can't see anything... Office 2003...

EDIT: 'Any point lol', ok got it now. It's a bit of a crude line though, it only extends as far as the data... :s-smilie:

Can i make excel display the intercept?

how can a line be crude? its a line!

Reply 10

Trevor 12345

LearningMath

it only extends as far as the data... :s-smilie:

well there is a very good reason for that.....

Reply 11

'bob'

Hey guys. Little help please. I've got the equation but it gives me a decimal but when i wor out the gradient myself from my raw data i get a figure of thousands

Reply 12

Sammydemon

Original post

by 'bob'

Hey guys. Little help please. I've got the equation but it gives me a decimal but when i wor out the gradient myself from my raw data i get a figure of thousands

You could perform a linear regression analysis on your data for a more accurate interpretation and gradient.

You might need to activate the add-in Analysis TookPak, you can do this in "Excel Options".

Reply 13

Adilllll

Hi guys, if the line of best fit isn't a line but instead a curve, how do I work out the gradient of the tangent on the curve at a specific point (without having to differentiate etc.)? Is there a way excel can differentiate for me and I can input the x value to get the gradient at that specific point?

Reply 14

natninja

Original post

by LearningMath

Basically i need the line of best fit to be really accurate, can excel add it in for me + calculate gradient?

You can use the functions SLOPE and INTERCEPT

Reply 15

Radishman

Original post

by natninja

You can use the functions SLOPE and INTERCEPT

Thanks to you I can FINALLY use more accurate slope values. I didn't know this before but now I can use this for my Lab Report in 3rd-year uni. Cheers natninja!