Solar System - Creating an Excel Spreadsheet

You will be creating an Excel spreadsheet
with information on the sun and nine planets in our solar system.

The information for the spreadsheet will be entered after researching specific Internet sites.
Follow the instruction below, and ENJOY!

Set Up the Spreadsheet & Enter the Sun & Planets

  1. Double-Click Microsoft Office on the Desktop.

  2. Double-Click Microsoft Excel.

  3. Click File / Save As.

  4. When the Save As screen is displayed, type SunPlanets.

  5. Your cursor is in Cell A1.

  6. Row 1 will contain your Column Headings.

  7. Type Planet in A1, and hit Tab.

  8. Type Diameter in B1, and hit Tab.

  9. Type Number of Moons in C1, and hit Tab.

  10. Type Distance from Sun in Millions of Miles in D1, and hit Enter.
    Your cursor jumps to Cell A2.

  11. Column A will contain the names of the planets, as well as the Sun.

  12. Type Sun and hit Enter.

  13. You are now in Cell A3.

  14. Type each planet name, in order by distance from the sun, followed by the Enter Key.

  15. Pluto, the farthest planet, will be in Row 11.

  16. Select C1 to D1. These cells have lots of text, and we should make the text fit.
    Click Format / Cells and then click the Alignment tab.
    Select Wrap Text
  17. Click Save.


Research & Enter the Information for the Sun's & Planets' Diameters

  1. Visit Info Please - The Solar System

  2. You will see a chart.
    Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars & Jupiter are on the first screen.
    Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are on the next screen & you will see them if you scroll down.

  3. Each row is a statistic about the planet. Locate the Equatorial Diameter row.
    The number is shown in kilometers. Below that is the diameter in miles.

  4. For each planet, enter the diameter in miles.

  5. Click Save.

  6. Now you have the information on the planets, but you still need the information for the sun.
    Click here to view that page.

  7. This page is not a chart. The information is written out in paragraphs.
    You will find the diameter of the sun in the first paragraph.

  8. Enter the diameter of the sun in your spreadsheet.

  9. Click Save.


Research & Enter the Information for the Planets' Distances from the Sun

  1. Click back on your InfoPlease Internet page - this is where you will get the information.

  2. Locate the Distance from Sun row.
    Note:The distance is shown in Millions of Miles.

  3. For each planet, enter the number shown.

  4. Click Save.


Research & Enter the Information for the Planets' Moons

  1. Visit Big Planets, Little Planets - Big Moons, Little Moons

  2. You will see a large picture of the sun, with each of the planets in front of it.
    Scroll down & you will see a picture of each planet.
    Underneath are pictures of each planet's moon.

  3. For each planet, count the number of moons.
    Ignore the extra moons that are listed after the + Enter that number in your spreadsheet in Column C next to the planet.

  4. Click Save.


Entering Formulas - Total Number of Moons

  1. Click in Cell C12. This should be the first empty cell under the number of moons.

  2. You will create the formula for the total number of moons.

  3. Type the following Exactly As It Is Written & then Hit Enter:
    =sum(c2:c11)

  4. Click Save.


Creating a Graph

  1. You will create a bar chart showing a comparision of the diameters of the different planets.

  2. You must be very careful when you create the chart. It is easy to get confused. Go slowly!

  3. Click Save.
  4. Select your data.
    Move your mouse to cell A3. You will be pointed at the word Mercury.

  5. Hold down the left mouse button. Drag to Cell B11.
    This is the diameter of Pluto.
    Release the left mouse button.

  6. Move your mouse to Cell A1. This is the word Planet.

  7. Hold down the CTRL Key.
    Hold down the left mouse button. Drag to Cell B1. This is the word Diameter.
    Release the left mouse button.

  8. You have selected everything in your spreadsheet that you will need to create the graph.
    Now it is time to create the graph!

  9. Look at the top toolbar and find the Chart Wizard icon.
    It looks like this -->Graph Icon

  10. Click the Chart Wizard icon.

  11. The Chart Wizard Dialog Box Step 1 of 4 is displayed.
    Click Next.

  12. The Chart Wizard Dialog Box Step 2 of 4 is displayed.
    Click Next.

  13. The Chart Wizard Dialog Box Step 3 of 4 is displayed.
    Click Next.

  14. The Chart Wizard Dialog Box Step 4 of 4 is displayed.
    Click the radio button next to As New Sheet.
    Click Next.

  15. The chart is displayed on a new sheet.


Bonus Projects
Converting to Actual Miles from the Sun

Your spreadsheet shows the distances from the sun in millions of miles.
Write the formula to display the actual number of miles.
Show this information in Column E.
Click Save.


Converting to Kilometers

Your spreadsheet shows the distances from the sun in miles.
Write the formula to display the distances in kilometers.


Note: 1 Mile = 1.609344 kilometers.
This formula will be entered in Column F.
Click Save.

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