sort function to sort for bell curve

Need to sort a data list to create a bell curve when graphed.

Kuby wrote:
> Need to sort a data list to create a bell curve when graphed.

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Sounds to me like you simply want to sort the data into ascending order? Mark
what you want to sort, then click on Data>Sort and follow your nose through the
panels.

Good luck...

Bill

Kuby wrote:
> Need to sort a data list to create a bell curve when graphed.

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Or perhaps you meant that you want a function to turn data into a histogram?

If so look under Tools>DataAnalysis and see if you have a Histogram function
listed. If not, you need to install the Statistics add-in from your original
Excel distribution disk.

Bill

No and yes. In a bell curve the highest value is in th the "center" of the
listed data with the next highest value falling off to the next
highest/lowest position from center.

If you have 30 data values the center is #15, the highest value would start
at that location; at #14/#16 would have the next highest value, etc......

When you graph data listing you will get a "bell curve" and can view the
out-lyers so as to judge the weighting of data and how it affected the curve.

This is typically used in SPC type analysis. But "with a simple sort
function in excel" you can get the same representation that SPC software
costing +$100's.

As it appears now to go this will be a manual effort of physically moving
data numbers to create a bell curve sort.

Kuby

"Bill Martin" wrote:

> Kuby wrote:
> > Need to sort a data list to create a bell curve when graphed.
>
> ------------
>
> Sounds to me like you simply want to sort the data into ascending order? Mark
> what you want to sort, then click on Data>Sort and follow your nose through the
> panels.
>
> Good luck...
>
> Bill
>

Kuby wrote:
> No and yes. In a bell curve the highest value is in th the "center" of the
> listed data with the next highest value falling off to the next
> highest/lowest position from center.

Actually, it is not organized that way. A Normal curve has the most frequently
occuring value in the center, not the highest value. Think of the curve for the
distribution of people's height. The 7' guy is not plotted at the center --
he's way out 4 sigma or so to the right.

Apparantly you are looking for a Histogram function, not a sort function as you
asked for. See my previously posted note about how to use Excel to generate a
histogram.

Bill