Statistics of Radioactive Decay

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around using a Geiger-Muller counter to measure natural radioactivity and analyzing the data collected. The user successfully plotted the counts in Excel, resulting in a Gaussian-like curve but struggles to create an accurate best fit curve. Suggestions for resolving this issue include using the NORMDIST function in Excel to achieve a better fit. The user reports that this approach seems to have worked. The conversation highlights challenges in data analysis and the application of statistical functions in Excel.
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Homework Statement


I hope that I'm posting it in the right section...
I did an experiment in class using a Geiger-Muller counter with the objective to find the amount of counts (how many photons hit the detector) due to natural radioactivity around my work station. I recorded 45 values of counts from the GM counter, and then created a table which shows how frequently each count appeared in the 45 measurements.

I put the values in a spreadsheet in excel and plotted a scatter graph of my values, and as expected I got a curve that resembles a Gaussian Curve, but now my problem is that I don't know how to make a best fit curve to these points, and whenver I try to use the functions of excel I get some curve of average that changes the shape of the curve completely.

How can I create a best fit curve to this data?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


Excel file attached.

Thank you for your time.
 

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Try the NORMDIST function is Excel.
 
Thanks! seems to work now.
 
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