Re: Excel--mac/ibm

["Richard W. Tarara" <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>]

First, I assume you transposed x and y below, but accepting that and
running the data through a program I wrote using algorithms from
"Introduction to the Theory of Error" by Yardley Beers,  using equal
weighting of all points, I get:

slope = 4.752 +/- .02425

y-intercept = 1.0057e-16 +/- .00184

Therefore, within the uncertainties, the two answers from the two versions
of Excel are indistiguishable.  The point here is that there IS an
uncertainty associated with any fit and in this case whatever discrepency
there is between versions is within that uncertainty.  If you can show a
discrepency that is outside the uncertainties, then there room for concern.

Rick

----------
> From: Donald E. Simanek <dsimanek@eagle.lhup.edu>
>
> x      y
>
> 0.002  0.000
> 0.117  0.025
> 0.238  0.050
> 0.356  0.075
> 0.472  0.100
> 0.597  0.125
>
> IBM Excel gives a = 4.751429,  b = 0.0050502
> MAC Excel gives a = 4.7514  ,  b = -0.0002