Compute This

Overview:
Compute This requires both the ability to locate information in a given domain and, using Microsoft Excel, to interpret data found, as well as finding the answers to short answer questions.

General Advice:
The only way to "study" for Compute This is to practice. You'll need to be able to find the information (both the data and the short answers) quickly; finding the data at the last minute with few questions done and an entire spreadsheet to do is not a situation you want to be in.

Becoming familiar with the domain gives you a better idea of the search terms you'll want to use when searching for the answers. Pick your favorite search engine and learn how to search within only a given domain. For example, to restrict the site to "NOAA.gov" in Google, you would type your search terms followed by "site:noaa.gov" (You can learn more about better searching at http://www.googleguide.com/ ). Your search will then only return pages within the NOAA domain.

Excel creates documents called spreadsheets. These are widely used to analyze data. Excel has the ability to make calculations in formulas that can use operators called functions, as well as your standard add, subtract, multiply, and divide. It does all of its operations in the grid- each individual box is a cell, with an identifying alphanumeric coordinate. Columns are letters, rows numbers- thus the cell in the column C in row 5 has the coordinate C5.

So, say we have two cells, A1 and A2. A1 contains the number 45, and A2 the number 5.32. I want to do something with them, so I select an empty cell, C3. To signal to Excel that I want to create a formula, I begin by typing an equals sign. Then, if I want to add the two together, I enter A1+A2. In the cell now should be �=A1+A2�. I hit enter, and Excel takes the values from A1 and A2 and adds them together. I can do the same for any other basic math operation; be warned, multiplication is not �x�. Multiplication is *, division is /. I could also just do �=45+5.32�, but the other way allows me change the original numbers without changing the formula.

But what if I want to take the average of the two numbers? I could write a cell �=(A1+A2)/2�, but that�s extra work, and if I want to add another number, I have to change both parts of the formula. Instead, I can use a function. In this case, the average function. Functions have a given syntax, or the required way that you need to enter the data into it. Once I type in �=Average(A1, A2)�, it will calculate the average. If I have another number in A3, I can simply do �=Average(A1, A2, A3)�.

The Excel help file lists the syntax as AVERAGE(number1, [number2], ...). First, it gives me what I need to type before I open the parenthesis to signal the proper function (in this case AVERAGE). After I open the parenthesis, I enter at least one number. Any items within brackets [ ] are optional. So I could take the average of one number, but why would I do that? Probably I�ll want even more than two. Thus, the ellipsis. It means that I can continue to add terms ad infinitum in the same way to get the average of all those terms. I then close the parenthesis when I have completed the function. Once you understand the logic behind the syntax, you can figure out any of the functions listed in the Excel help file. It is even possible to create formulas of multiple functions at once and formulas with functions within functions. But remember, you only ever need to put the opening equals sign at the beginning of the formula, not at the beginning of each separate function.

Day of the Event
When you are actually in the room taking the exam there are some very important things to consider as you work through the task: Read the Directions including the rubric (once, twice, its worth the time) Your procter may even give a reading period and you need to use it. You should identify the problems that may take longer and also the problems that you can solve quickly. You do not have to create your graph and data table before the questions. These questions are generally half your score and may be much easier to find and possibly even lead you to find the major data for your graph. This is why you should read the rubruc if its provided and know the point scale...sometimes you can even get points for a blank graph that has an approriate title. Most important of all is to not panic and get as many points as you can in the time alloted. If you have practiced searching for data and know excel you will do fine. if a search isn't working change the terms...my rule of thumb was that if there was nothing in the first three results I would move on with new search terms use your partner...the person sitting next to you can think of new search terms, write down data to be transfered, etc.

Study Sites:
http://www.functionx.com/excel

http://www.usd.edu/trio/tut/excel/

http://www.googleguide.com/

This Years Site
United States Geological Survey- http://www.usgs.gov/

Previous Year�s Domains:
2006- http://www.noaa.gov

2005- http://www.nasa.gov