Excel Data Analysis For Dummies, 5th Edition

Chapter 13

Analyzing Data Using Inferential Statistics

IN THIS CHAPTER

Sampling data

Discovering Excel’s t-Test and z-Test tools

Doing a regression analysis and determining the correlation

Implementing the ANOVA data-analysis tools

Comparing variances with the f-Test tool

In this chapter, I talk about some of the more sophisticated tools provided by the Excel Analysis ToolPak add-in: Sampling, t-Test, z-Test, Scatter Plot, Regression, Correlation, ANOVA, and f-Test. With these tools, you can perform inferential statistics, which you use to first look at a set of sample observations drawn from a population and then draw conclusions — that is, make inferences — about the population’s characteristics. (To read about the simpler descriptive statistical tools that Excel supplies in the Analysis ToolPak add-in, skip back to Chapter 12. You should jump back to Chapter 12 also to learn how to install the Analysis ToolPak add-in, if you haven’t done so already.)

It’s worth pointing out right ...