Creating a Simple Random Sample in Microsoft Excel

Chapter 2, Printout 1

1. 2.

Launch Excel. Fill Column A with values 1-80.

o o

In cell A1, type "1" Select Column A by clicking the column heading. Screenshot:

o o

Select "Edit --> Fill --> Series." Fill out the resulting dialog box as follows:
Input Type Label Columns Linear Trend Value selected selected unchecked

Step value: 1 Stop value: 80

o o

Screenshot: Click "OK."

Column A now contains the integers 1-80. Screenshot: 3.

Fill Rows 1-25 of Column B with a Random Sample from Column A.

o o

Select Column B by clicking the column heading. Select "Tools --> Data Analysis."

In the dialog box that follows, select "Sampling" from the menu and click "OK." Screenshot:

Fill out the next dialog box as follows:

Input Type Label Input Range: Labels Random Value
$A$1:$A$80

unchecked selected

Number of Samples: 25 Output Range: Output Range: selected

$B$1:$B$25

o o

Screenshot: Click "OK."

Column B now contains a random sample of 25 values from Column A. Screenshot: