Suppose I have some values and I compute the mean, which I plot in a bar
graph as one bar. Now, in the Format Data Series menu, under the Y error bar
tab, I see the option of "Standard deviation" and "Standard error". I can't
figure out how to use those; what I do now is put the stdev() of the values
into a separate cell and use that cell in the "Custom" field of the Y error
bar tab. But this must be the clumsy way of doing it, if it has "Standard
deviation" and "Standard error" as built-in options. Presumably for it to
use "Standard deviation" and "Standard error" it has to know (I have to
select) the whole series of numbers, but then how do I tell it to plot the
mean as the value of the bar itself?

Thanks,

Mike

I really don't know what the standard deviation or standard error are,
but they seem to be based on the values being charted.

Use the custom error bar approach you're using. At least you know where
the values come from.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier
Peltier Technical Services, Inc.
http://peltiertech.com/


On 4/22/2010 9:05 PM, Michael Levin wrote:
Suppose I have some values and I compute the mean, which I plot in a bar
graph as one bar. Now, in the Format Data Series menu, under the Y error bar
tab, I see the option of "Standard deviation" and "Standard error". I can't
figure out how to use those; what I do now is put the stdev() of the values
into a separate cell and use that cell in the "Custom" field of the Y error
bar tab. But this must be the clumsy way of doing it, if it has "Standard
deviation" and "Standard error" as built-in options. Presumably for it to
use "Standard deviation" and "Standard error" it has to know (I have to
select) the whole series of numbers, but then how do I tell it to plot the
mean as the value of the bar itself?

Thanks,

Mike