Making A Spreadsheet Of Planet Distances
Distances in space are enormous. Measuring distance to the planets and stars in kilometers or miles
requires very large numbers. Astronomers convert kilometers or miles to Astronomical Units or Light
Minutes. An Astronomical Unit (AU) is average distance from the Sun to the Earth. One AU equals
about 150,000,000 kilometers. A Light Minute (LM) is the distance that light travels in one minute.
Light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second or 186,000 miles per second.
Starting Excel
1. Click the Start button
on the Taskbar and point to Programs.
2. On the Programs Submenu, click Microsoft Excel. In a few seconds, the program is loaded and
the Excel window appears.
3. Click the Maximize button
to enlarge the window.
4. Click File on the Menu bar and select Open. The Open dialog box opens.
5. Click the drop-down arrow
to the right of the Look in box.
6. Select your period folder.
7. Click the file My Astronomy Workbook to select it.
8. Click the Open button
.
Inserting a Sheet
9. Click Insert on the Menu bar and select Worksheet.
10. A new worksheet is inserted into the workbook.
Renaming a Sheet
11. Click the Sheet1 tab. Sheet1 opens.
12. Double-click the words Sheet1 on the tab.
13. Type Distance to rename the tab.
Setting-up the Spreadsheet
14. Click in any cell.
15. Press Ctrl+A to select all.
16. Using the Formatting toolbar, change the Font Size to 14-points.
17. Press Ctrl+1.
18. The Format Cells dialog box opens.
19. Click the Alignment tab.
20. Under Vertical, select Center.
21. Click OK.
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22. Click the Column A Heading and drag to the Column D Heading.
23. The columns are now selected.
24. Click Format on the Menu bar, point to Column, and select Width.
25. Change the Column Width to 27 points.
26. Click OK or press Enter.
Enter a Title
27. Click the cell A1 and drag to cell D1.
28. Press the Merge and Center button
on the Formatting toolbar.
29. Type Measuring Planetary Distances.
30. Press Enter twice to move to cell A3.
Enter a Text Label
31. Type the word Planet.
32. Press Tab to move to cell B3.
33. Type Distance.
34. Press Alt+Enter.
35. Type (Kilometers).
36. Press Tab to move to cell C3.
37. Type Distance.
38. Press Alt+Enter.
39. Type (Astronomical Units).
Each column is
27 points wide
40. Press Tab to move to cell D3.
41. Type Distance.
42. Press Alt+Enter.
43. Type (Light Minutes).
44. Click in cell A4.
45. Type the word Mercury.
46. Press Enter to move to cell A5.
47. Type the word Venus.
48. Press Enter to move to cell A6.
49. Type the rest of the planets into cells A6 to A12.
Entering Numbers
50. Fill in cells B4 to B12 with the average distance from the Sun for each planet in kilometers.
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Entering Formulas
51. Click in cell C4.
52. Type =b4/150000000.
53. Press Tab.
54. This will convert the distance in kilometers to Astronomical Units.
55. In cell D4 type =b4/(300000*60).
56. Press Enter.
57. This will convert the distance in kilometers to Light
Minutes.
Formatting the Title
You must multiply
300,000 by 60, because
light travels 300,000 km
per second. There are 60
seconds in one minute.
58. Click in cell A1.
59. Press Ctrl+1. The Format Cells dialog box appears.
60. Click the Fonts tab.
61. Change the Size to 20 points.
62. Change the Font style to Bold.
63. Change the Color to White.
64. Click the Patterns tab.
65. Under Cell Shading, select Black.
66. Click OK.
Figure 1
Formatting the Labels
67. Click in cell A3 and drag to D3.
68. The cells are now selected.
69. Press Format on the Menu bar and select Cells.
70. The Format Cells dialog box appears.
71. Click the Alignment tab.
72. Under Horizontal, select Center.
73. Click the Font tab.
74. Change the Font style to Bold.
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75. Click the Border tab.
76. Under Line Style, select the
heaviest line.
77. Under Presets, click the Outline
and Inside buttons.
78. Click the Patterns tab.
79. Under Cell Shading, select the
lightest gray color.
80. Click OK.
Using the Fill Handle to
Copy into Adjacent Cells
81. Click in cell C4.
82. In the lower right-hand corner, you will see a handle.
83. Move the mouse over the handle and the mouse changes into a
small + sign.
84. Press the left mouse button and drag the Fill Handle down
Column C to the cell for the last planet.
85. Your formula for Astronomical Unit is now copied into cells C5
to C12.
86. Click in cell D4.
87. In the lower right-hand corner, you will see a handle.
88. Move the mouse over the handle and the mouse changes into a small + sign.
89. Press the left mouse button and drag the Fill Handle down Column D to
the cell for the last planet.
90. Your formula for Light Minute is now copied into cells D5 to D12.
Click and drag the
fill handle to copy
and paste the
formula into cells
C5 to C12.
Formatting the Data
91. Click in cell B4 and drag to B12.
92. The cells are now selected.
93. Press Format on the Menu bar and select
Cells.
94. The Format Cells dialog box appears.
95. Click the Number tab.
96. Under Category, select Number.
97. Next to Decimal places, select 0.
98. Check the box next to Use 1000 separator.
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99. Click OK.
100.
Click in cell C4 and drag to D12.
101.
The cells are now selected.
102. Press Format on the Menu bar and select
Cells.
103.
The Format Cells dialog box appears.
104.
Click the Number tab.
105.
Under Category, select Number.
106.
Next to Decimal places, select 2.
107.
Click OK.
Creating a Header for Your Heading
The worksheet needs a heading. You will create a header and footer. Remember, a header and footer
appear on every page. You will not see the header and footer until you use Print Preview.
108.
Click View on the Menu bar and select Header and Footer.
109.
The Page Setup dialog box opens.
110.
Click the Custom Header button
111.
The Header dialog box opens.
112.
In the Right section, type your name and press Enter.
113.
Type your partner’s name and press Enter.
114.
Click the Date button
115.
Press Enter.
.
.
116. Type the word Period, press the Spacebar,
and type your period number.
117.
Press Enter.
118.
Type Astronomy and Space Biology.
119.
Click OK.
120.
Click the Margins tab.
121. Change the Top Margin to 2 inches so you
have room for your header.
122.
Under Center on page, select Horizontally
.
123.
Click the Sheet tab.
124.
Click the box next to Gridlines.
125.
Click the Page tab.
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126.
Under Orientation, select Landscape.
127.
Click OK.
Previewing a Worksheet
128.
Press F7 to run a spell check.
129.
Fix any errors.
130.
Press Ctrl+S to save your work.
131.
Click on the Print Preview button
132.
Check the bottom of the Print Preview window to check that you only have one page.
133.
You will now see your header and footer.
134.
Click the Close button
.
on the Print Preview toolbar.
Figure 2
Printing a Document
135.
Press the Ctrl+P keys. The Print dialog box opens.
136.
The Name of the printer should be Ireland.
137.
Next to Number of copies, type 2 in the text box.
138.
Click OK or press Enter.
139.
Press Alt+F4 to close all open windows and to return to the Desktop.
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Making A Column Chart Of Planet Distances
140.
Start Microsoft Excel.
141.
Click File on the Menu bar and select Open. The Open dialog box appears.
142.
Click the drop-down arrow
143.
Select your period folder.
144.
Click the file My Astronomy Workbook to open it.
145.
Click the Open button
146.
Click the worksheet tab titled Distance to make it the active sheet.
to the right of the Look in box.
.
Selecting the Labels and
Data
147. Click in cell A3 and drag down
to cell A12.
148.
Hold the Ctrl key down.
149. Click in cell C3 and drag to
D12.
150.
Release the Ctrl key.
151.
Click the Chart Wizard button
on the Standard toolbar.
152.
Step 1 of the Chart Wizard opens.
153. Under Chart type, select the
Column chart type.
154. Under Chart Sub-type, select the
Clustered column.
155. Click the Press and hold to view
sample button
to
preview your selection.
156.
Click Next
.
157. In Step 2 make sure the correct data
range is selected.
158. The picture preview is your best hint
that the data range is correctly selected.
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159.
Click Next
.
160. In Step 3, you type the
titles in the appropriate text
boxes.
161.
Click the Titles tab.
162. In the Chart title text
box, type Measuring
Planet Distance.
163. In the Category (X)
axis text box, type Planet.
164. In the Value (Y) axis
text box, type Light
Minutes.
165.
Click Next
.
Setting the Chart Location
166.
Under Place chart, select As a new sheet.
167. In the text box type Distance Chart. You will see
this name on the worksheet tab.
168. Click Finish
chart.
169.
Click the Save button
. You will see your new
on the Standard toolbar.
Formatting the X-Axis Labels
Labels are hard to read when they are 10 points in size.
170.
Double-click the name of any planet to select the X-axis labels.
171.
The Format Axis dialog box will open.
172.
Click the Font tab.
173.
Change the Font Size to 12 points.
174.
Click OK.
Formatting the Y-Axis Scale
175.
Double-click any number on the scale to select the Y-axis labels (0, 1, 2, 3).
176.
The Format Axis dialog box will open.
177.
Click the Font tab.
178.
Change the Font Size to 12 points.
179.
Click OK.
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Formatting the X-Axis Title
180.
Double-click the X-axis title Planets.
181.
The Format Axis Title dialog box will open.
182.
Click the Font tab.
183.
Change the Font Size to 14 points.
184.
Change the Font style to Bold.
185.
Click OK.
Formatting the Y-Axis Title
186.
Double-click the Y-axis title Light Minutes.
187.
The Format Axis Title dialog box will open.
188.
Click the Font tab.
189.
Change the Font Size to 14 points.
190.
Change the Font style to Bold.
191.
Click the Alignment tab.
192.
Under Orientation, select 90 Degrees.
193.
Click OK.
Formatting the Chart Title
194.
Double-click the chart title Measuring Planet Distance.
195.
The Format Chart Title dialog box will open.
196.
Click the Font tab.
197.
Change the Font to Arial Black.
198.
Change the Font Size to 20 points.
199.
Click the Patterns tab.
200.
Under Border, select Automatic.
201. Check the box next to Shadow. (This will put a thin black border around your title with a
shadow.)
202.
Click OK.
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Adding a Secondary Y-Axis
The Y-Axis scale shows the number of Light
Minutes the planet is from the Sun. You need a
second Y-Axis to show the number of
Astronomical Units the planet is from the Sun.
203.
Double-click one of the AU bars.
204. The Format Data Series dialog box
opens.
205.
Click the Axis tab.
206.
Select Secondary axis.
207.
Click the Patterns tab.
208.
Select any color you want.
209.
Click OK.
Formatting the Secondary Y-Axis
Scale
210. Double-click any number on the scale
to select the Y-axis labels (0, 1, 2, 3).
211.
The Format Axis dialog box will open.
212.
Click the Font tab.
213.
Change the Font Size to 12 points.
214.
Click OK.
215.
Look at Figure 3.
Adding a Secondary Y-Axis Title
216.
Click Chart on the Menu bar and select Chart Options.
217.
The Chart Options dialog box opens.
218. In the Second value (Y) axis text box, type Astronomical
Units.
219.
Click OK.
Formatting the Secondary Y-Axis Title
220.
Double-click the title Astronomical Units.
221.
The Format Axis Title dialog box will open.
222.
Click the Font tab.
223.
Change the Font Size to 14 points.
224.
Change the Font style to Bold.
225.
Click the Alignment tab.
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226.
Under Orientation, select -90 Degrees.
227.
Click OK.
228.
Look at Figure 3.
Adding Clip Art to the Chart
229.
Right-click any toolbar and select Drawing.
230.
The Drawing toolbar should open.
231.
Click the Insert Clip Art button
232.
In the Search for clips text box, type sun.
233.
Press Enter.
234.
Find a picture that you want to add to your chart.
235.
Right-click the picture, and select Insert.
236.
The picture is placed on your chart.
237.
Drag the picture to an empty spot on your chart.
238.
Look at Figure 3.
on the Drawing toolbar.
Legend—Yes or No
If your chart has two or more colors in the columns, you need a legend. If you only have a single color
in the columns, you do not need a legend.
239.
If you need a legend, do not do the next step.
240. If you do not need a legend, select the legend and
press Delete.
Changing the Page Setup
241.
Click File on the Menu bar and select Page Setup.
242.
The Page Setup dialog box opens.
243.
Click the Margins tab.
244.
Change the Left, Right, and Bottom margins to 0.5 inch.
245.
Click the Header/Footer tab.
246.
Click the Custom Header button
247.
The Header dialog box opens.
248.
In the Right section type your name and press Enter.
249.
Type your partner’s name and press Enter.
250.
Click the Date button
251.
Press Enter.
252.
Type the word Period, press the Spacebar, and type your period number.
Astronomy and Space Biology
.
.
Page 11
253.
Press Enter.
254.
Type Astronomy and Space Biology.
255.
Click OK twice.
Previewing a Worksheet
256.
Press F7 to run a spell check.
257.
Press Ctrl+S to save your work.
258.
Click on the Print Preview button
259.
Check the bottom of the Print Preview window to check that you only have one page.
260.
You will now see your header and footer.
261.
Click the Close button
.
on the Print Preview toolbar.
Printing a Document
262.
Press the Ctrl+P keys. The Print dialog box opens.
263.
The Name of the printer should be Wales.
264.
Next to Number of copies, type 2 in the text box.
265.
Click OK or press Enter.
266.
Press Alt+F4 to close all open windows and to return to the Desktop.
Figure 3
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