Cells, Excel Insert menu

The Excel function LINEST returns the slope and intercept and their uncertainties in a table (a matrix). As an example, enter x and y values in columns A and B. Then highlight the 3-row X 2-column region E3 F5 with your mouse. This block of cells is selected to contain the output of the LINEST function. Under the insert menu, select function. In the window... 

To assign names to cells, select the cells to be named and the adjacent cells containing the names. Choose Name from the Insert menu and choose Create... from the submenu. Excel displays the Create Names box in Figure 3-4 the Left Column check box is checked, indicating that Excel proposes to use text in the cells in the left column for names. Press the OK button. The names will be assigned to the appropriate cells. 

Because Excel provides such a wide range of functions, it is sometime difficult to remember them, or to enter their arguments correctly. You can use Excel s Insert Function to paste a function in a cell, or within a formula that you re typing in the formula bar. To access Paste Function, press the button or choose Function... from the Insert menu to display the Paste Function dialog box (Figure 3-18). 

Cell B14 gives the number of data points with the formula = COUNT(B4 B7). Cell B15 computes the mean value of y. Cell B16 computes the sum S(q — )2 that we need for Equation 4-27. This sum is common enough that Excel has a built in function called DEVSQ that you can find in the Statistics menu of the INSERT FUNCTION menu. 

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