MODELS AND PRESENTING NUMERIC DATA

Grade 8-ICT-Term2

Models and simulations

When you alter the variable numbers in the model to see what happens, you are said
to be performing a simulation. The simulation will mimic how the real situation alters
under the changed conditions.

Model: the process of representing a real-world object or phenomenon as a set of mathematical

equations.

Simulation: seeing how the model behaves under different circumstances by altering the variables.

The benefits of using a spreadsheet to create a model

Speed: Can produce the results instantly, whilst doing this manual will take a long time

Accuracy: Models use formulae and , provide the correct formulae have been used, there
will be no mistakes in the calculation. It is easier to make mistakes doing calculations in
your head or using calculator

Automatic calculation: By changing the quantity in a cell, all the other cell hat are linked
to it will change automatically.

Rule and Variable

A Rule: A formula (Mathematical/Logical operations) applied to find the answers;

Fixed Value : A quantity whose values are fixed(Values that cannot be changed)

A Variable: A quantity whose values is not fixed (Values that can be changed)

Goal Seek :

Goal seek allow you to set what you want to output to be and it then automatically varies one of the
inputs until it gets as near to the output as it can,
Spreadsheet functions:

SUM(): Adds a range of cells together, Ex : =SUM(A1:A10)

AVERAGE(): Calculates the average of a range of cells, Ex : =AVERAGE(A1:A10)

COUNT(): Counts the number of chosen data in a range of cells, Ex : =COUNT(A1:A10)

COUNTA(): function returns the count of non-blanks within a supplied set of cells or values.

Ex: COUNTA(A1:A10)

COUNTIF(): Returns the number of cells (of a supplied range), that satisfy a given criteria

Ex: COUNTIF(A1:A10,B12>50)

MAX(): Identifies the largest number in a range of cells, Ex : =MAX(A1:A10)

MIN(): Identifies the smallest number in a range of cells, Ex : =MIN(A1:A10)

IF (): Tests a user-defined condition and returns one result if the condition is TRUE, and another result if
the condition is FALSE, Ex : IF(Percentage>60, “GOOD”, “AVERAGE”);

Nesting of If Function: The IF function is frequently 'nested' in Excel. I.e. the value_if_true or the
value_if_false argument is replaced with another call to the If function.

=IF(Percentage>60, “GOOD”, IF(Percentage>40,“ AVERAGE”,”BELOW AVERAGE”));