Normal Distribution

Creating an Interactive

Graph in Excel

If you are doing statistical analysis of your marketing program, you will eventually want to plot some statistically-distributed data in an Excel graph. The most commonly-occurring statistical distribution in nature and, of course, in business, is the normal distribution.

normal distribution, normally distributed, graphing on excel, make a graph, graph excel, how to graph on excel, standard normal distribution, normal distribution curve, normal probability distribution, normal distribution chart, statistical analysis in excel

Click On Image To See Enlarged View

This blog post and video will show you how to create a user-interactive graph of the normal distribution in Excel. The user of your graph will be able to vary the two parameters of the Normal Distribution - the mean and standard deviation - and then watch the changes instantly reflected in the Excel graph. Note the differences between the graph above and the graph below as a result of changes in the 2 user inputs of mean and standard deviation.

Click On Image To See Enlarged View

We’ll even this one step further. Sometimes you need to show a different between regions under the Normal curve. This article and attached video also provide step-by-step instructions on how to graph the Normal Distribution so that the outer 2% tails colored differently so they will stand out from the rest of the graph. After watching the video, you will be able to easily differentiate any region under the Normal curve by making it a different color.

Here is a step-by-step video showing how to create a user-interactive Excel graph of the Normal Distribution:

(Is Your Sound Turned On?)

The concepts covered in this article really need to be observed in the video for full comprehension. Below is an outline of the major steps appearing in the video that are needed to construct a user-interactive graph in Excel of the Normal Distribution with highlighted outer tails.

1) Create the X-Axis

Click On Image To See Enlarged View

You’ll notice on the video that when the user varies the mean or standard deviation inputs, it is the X-Axis that changes, not the graph. The graph will always show 3 standard deviations of normal distribution from the mean in both directions. It is the X-Axis increments that will change as a result of changes made by the user to the mean and standard deviation. The initial left-hand column starts at the top at -30 and finishes at the bottom at +30. This creates the basis of the 3 standard deviations of Normal Distribution that will show at all times on each side of the mean, regardless of the mean and standard deviation that the user has input.

2) Create 2 columns that will calculate the Normal Distribution’s PDF at each point of the X-Axis.

PDF is the Probability Density Function of the Normal Distribution. The data in each of these 2 columns are the Y values of two identical graphs, one sitting on top of the other.

Click On Image To See Enlarged View

3) Zero out the Y-Values on the outer edge(s) of the 2nd column.

Click On Image To See Enlarged View

The 2nd column sits directly on top of the 1st column. If you set any the Y-values for that graph to 0, you allow the identical graph directly underneath to show through. For example, if you zero out the outer 2% of the Y-values on top and bottom of the 2nd column, you are allowing the lower graph to show through for the outer 2% of each tail. You are, in effect, graphing the outer 2% of the Normal Distribution by deleting the outer 2% of the tails in the upper graph, letting the different-colored lower graph to show.

4) Set the color of all elements on the Excel chart as you see best.

Click On Image To See Enlarged View

For example, you might want to change the color of the upper or lower graphs, or the color of the background. You simply left-click on the element that you wish to change the color of and then select the color in the color dialogue box that pops up. The video shows an example of this being done.

That sums up the steps you’ll see in the video.

Here are links to other training videos of how to create interactive graphs in Excel of some of the other major statistical distributions:

How to Graph the Normal Distribution's Probability Density Function in Excel

How To Graph the Normal Distribution's Cumulative Distribution Function in Excel

How To Graph the Students t Distributions' Probability Density Function in Excel

How To Graph the Chi-Square Distribution's Probability Density Function in Excel

How To Graph the Weibull Distribution's PDF and CDF - in Excel

If you have any questions or comments about this article and attached videos, please post them below. Your opinion is highly valued!

If You Like This, Then Share It...

Excel Master Series Blog Directory

Statistical Topics and Articles In Each Topic

Become an Excel Statistical Master

Excel Master Series - MBA-level statistics - Over 1,100+ Pages of Easy-To-Follow Instructions in Excel

It's a Full
Easy-To-Follow
MBA Course in Business Statistics

ALL IN EXCEL

&

MUCH Clearer

Than Your Text

Book

Download the
1,100+ Page Excel Statistical Master now

More Easy-To-

Follow eManuals

That You Will

Master Quickly

Step-By-Step Optimization With Excel Solver

What's In It?

For anyone who wants to be operating at a high level with the Excel Solver quickly, this is the book for you. Step-By-Step Optimization With Excel Solver is a 200+ page .pdf e-manual of simple yet thorough explanations on how to use the Excel Solver to solve today’s most widely known optimization problems. Loaded with screen shots that are coupled with easy-to-follow instructions, this book will simplify many difficult optimization problems and make you a master of the Excel Solver almost immediately.

Here are just some of the Solver optimization problems that are solved completely with simple-to-understand instructions and screen shots in this e-manual:

• The famous “Traveling Salesman” problem using Solver’s Alldifferent constraint and the Solver’s Evolutionary method to find the shortest path to reach all customers. This also provides an advanced use of the Excel INDEX function.

• The well-known “Knapsack Problem” which shows how optimize the use of limited space while satisfying numerous other criteria.

• How to perform nonlinear regression and curve-fitting on the Solver using the Solver’s GRG Nonlinear solving method.

• How to solve the “Cutting Stock Problem” faced by many manufacturing companies who are trying to determine the optimal way to cut sheets of material to minimize waste while satisfying customer orders.

• Portfolio optimization to maximize return or minimize risk.

• Venture capital investment selection using the Solver’s Binary constraint to maximize Net Present Value of selected cash flows at year 0. Clever use of the If-Then-Else statements makes this a simple problem.

• How use Solver to minimize the total cost of purchasing and shipping goods from multiple suppliers to multiple locations.

• How to optimize the selection of different production machine to minimize cost while fulfilling an order.

• How to optimally allocate a marketing budget to generate the greatest reach and frequency or number of inbound leads at the lowest cost.

Step-By-Step Optimization With Excel Solver has complete instructions and numerous tips on every aspect of operating the Excel Solver. You’ll fully understand the reports and know exactly how to tweek all of the Solver’s settings for total custom use. This e-manual also provides lots of inside advice and guidance on setting up the model in Excel so that it will be as simple and intuitive as possible to work with.

All of the optimization problems in this book are solved step-by-step using a 6-step process that works every time. In addition to detailed screen shots and easy-to-follow explanations on how to solve every optimization problem in the book, a link is provided to download an Excel workbook that has all problems completed exactly as they are in this e-manual.

Step-By-Step Optimization With Excel Solver is exactly the e-manual you need if you want to be optimizing at an advanced level with the Excel Solver quickly.

*******************

Become an Excel Statistical Master

It's a Full
Easy-To-Follow
MBA Course in Business Statistics

ALL IN EXCEL

&

MUCH Clearer

Than Your Text

Book

Download the
1,100+ Page Excel Statistical Master now

More Easy-To-

Follow eManuals

That You Will

Master Quickly

*******************

Become an Excel Statistical Master

It's a Full
Easy-To-Follow
MBA Course in Business Statistics

ALL IN EXCEL

&

MUCH Clearer

Than Your Text

Book

Download the
1,100+ Page Excel Statistical Master now

More Easy-To-

Follow eManuals

That You Will

Master Quickly

*******************

Become an Excel Statistical Master

It's a Full
Easy-To-Follow
MBA Course in Business Statistics

ALL IN EXCEL

&

MUCH Clearer

Than Your Text

Book

Download the
1,100+ Page Excel Statistical Master now

Immediate, Absolute, No-Questions-Asked, Money-Back Guarantee If Not TOTALLY, 100% Satisfied. In Other Words, If Any Excel Master Series eManual That You've Purchased Here Does Not Provide Instructions That Are CRYSTAL CLEAR and EASY TO UNDERSTAND, You Get All Of Your Money Back Immediately and Keep the eManual. Guaranteed!

Meet The Author