Microsoft Excel For Physics Laboratory Projects

This textbook serves as a practical guide to using Microsoft Excel® for the numerical analysis of physics laboratory projects. It introduces key Excel features — including AutoFill, iterative calculation, Solver, and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) — and shows how they can be applied effectively to real physics problems.Beginning with a concise theoretical background and avoiding unnecessary mathematical complexity, the book uses worked numerical examples to explore a wide range of topics. These include plotting multiple graphs on a single chart, using the Euler and Runge–Kutta methods to solve differential equations, applying Fourier transforms to determine the normal modes of a double pendulum, carrying out three-point interpolation, and using matrix methods to solve coupled linear equations in DC circuits. It also demonstrates animations of waves and Lissajous figures, calculations of electric and magnetic fields from the Poisson equation with 3D surface plots, and applications of variational calculus such as the brachistochrone problem, Fermat's principle of least time, and the principle of least action.Advanced topics include rotational motion, Lagrange points, and relativistic effects, along with probability functions and statistical parameters for analyzing random phenomena. The book also introduces Nelson's stochastic quantum dynamics to model quantum trajectories of harmonic oscillators, hydrogen atoms, and single- and double-slit simulations. With step-by-step, illustrated guidance throughout, it is an accessible and authoritative resource for anyone seeking to use Excel confidently in physics teaching, learning, and laboratory work.