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I need some excel help today for homework

S

Super20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 24, 2004
204
1
Council Bluffs, IA
I'm hoping someone can help me out on this because I just can't figure it out.
I have 21 different numbers ranging from 0 to 5 in a column. My assignment is to:
"create a 3D pie chart displaying the percentage of numbers assigned in the Computer Instruction column. Include a title and the legend."
I've tried highlighting the column and making a 3D pie chart...but I get 21 different slices. I just need to make the chart showing the percentage of each kind of answer. Any ideas on how to start this or lead my in the right direction? I don't want someone to do this for me I'm just at my wits end.
I'm using MAC:Excel 2008.
 
Isn't the point of you doing your own homework, for you to learn? It's cheating to have someone do your work for you.
 
Super20 said:
I said I needed help. I didn't ask for the answer. But thanks for being my mom. If you aren't going to help then don't post.
Click to expand...

to be fair, to help with your question is most likely to give the answer

that said, i tried to create your problem in excel and i got the same result as you. i tried looking up how to graph based off of frequency than set values. maybe you can get further than me?
 
Not necessarily true. Leading in the right direction is not giving the answer. Besides, I cheated anyway...here's how:
Instead of using the 21 numbers I had, I just wrote down how many times each answer was given and figured out the percent that way. Then I made the 3d pie chart from there. I'm pretty positive that that isn't the correct way to do it and there is probably an easier and better way, but it worked.
 
Super20 said:
.. I cheated anyway...
Click to expand...
Good to know our future is going to be in the hands of kids with who aren't burdened with such silly ideas as integrity, honesty, ethics, morals, a willingness to work and personal character! :D
 
Super20 said:
I have 21 different numbers ranging from 0 to 5 in a column. My assignment is to:
"create a 3D pie chart displaying the percentage of numbers assigned in the Computer Instruction column. Include a title and the legend."
Click to expand...
Hint: You are going to need to calculate some data, then make the chart from the calculated data. Note, I am talking about Excel doing the calculation (counting) for you.

Super20 said:
Instead of using the 21 numbers I had, I just wrote down how many times each answer was given and figured out the percent that way. Then I made the 3d pie chart from there. I'm pretty positive that that isn't the correct way to do it and there is probably an easier and better way, but it worked.
Click to expand...
Yep, I would give you a zero for that try.

See my hint above.
 
sushi said:
Hint: You are going to need to calculate some data, then make the chart from the calculated data. Note, I am talking about Excel doing the calculation (counting) for you.


Yep, I would give you a zero for that try.

See my hint above.
Click to expand...

Yep, if you can do it by hand ... look at the functions and see if you can use those to do it with calculations.

Just set up another page, or use empty cells (depending on how teach likes it) and set up a couple new columns with the answer and the calculation of how many times they appear.

Which can be used to create a percentage quite easy or directly for your charts.

---

Have to remember the thing about excel, is that you use one set of data to create other sets of data, and use those to create charts.

When the data changes your charts change, if you do it by hand -- it is a pain to redo the charts all the time. Which is how accountants used to work, grinding away with a calculator to test sets of numbers that can be done easy with a spreadsheet.

aka, hammer one set of data into a form you need to create your Powerpoint slide.
 
Just follow the advice everyone has been giving you.

All you need to do is make a separate table to take in the data you originally had and put it into categories so it becomes a nicer format. From there, just make a table.

I'm not sure how different Excel is from Numbers, but you can look at my thread of how I figured out how to do it in Numbers. It might help.

https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=5963379#post5963379

Shame, at this moment, I've been the only poster in it :p
 
Try "countif"

In Numbers ( the Apple iWork spreadsheet ) the "hint" is to use "countif". I know how it is. I appreciate that you don't want the "answer" - just a pointer for the where the road begins. Hope this is enough of a hint.

Good Luck.
 
Thanks for all the pointers everyone. Those are the kinds of "answers" I was looking for.
So...probably the age-old question....is Numbers better than Excel? I'd rather not use MS stuff if I didn't have to (besides the Xbox). I'm just more use to using the Office suite. I've tried both Neo Office and Open Office and I just didn't like those alternatives.
 
Super20 said:
Thanks for all the pointers everyone. Those are the kinds of "answers" I was looking for.
So...probably the age-old question....is Numbers better than Excel? I'd rather not use MS stuff if I didn't have to (besides the Xbox). I'm just more use to using the Office suite. I've tried both Neo Office and Open Office and I just didn't like those alternatives.
Click to expand...

for spreadsheets, there is no alternative to excel. numbers doesnt even come close
 
dukebound85 said:
for spreadsheets, there is no alternative to excel. numbers doesnt even come close
Click to expand...

I think that it all comes down to desired usage- Excel is of course the long time ruling spreadsheet where extreme capabilities are necessary and has tons of features that will never get used by most users, while Numbers is absolutely fine for slightly simpler spreadsheets and has a surprising amount of capability.

A similar comparison can be made for Adobe Photoshop CS3 vs. Adobe Photoshop Elements Version 6. Different versions with similar objectives for different requirements.
 
Numbers just makes prettier looking tables while Excel is for power users. Heh. Shame you can't have both in one.
 
Select the stuff you want, create a pie chart and one of the options is to show percentage. If you can't see it, maybe enlarge the graph.
 
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