# What program does linear fit including uncertanities? (excel, graphical analysis ?)

Hi

I have some data which concists of some points (x,y) and I'm looking for a program that can calculate for me the slope of the linear fit line (trendline) including uncertanity on the slope. Also the y-interception has to bo at 0.

My data set includes incertanities on both x and y variables.

I have tried this in excel. I can get the slope for the line that has y-intercept = 0, and I can add in the graph my uncertanities, but I cant find out how to calculate the uncertanity of the slope.

I tried another program called graphical analysis. That program can easily give me the slope and the uncertanity of the slope. But I can't seem to find out how to force y-intercept to 0 (force the line through the point (0,0) )

So my questions in general are:

Is there another program that is better suited for this?
How can I calculate uncertanity for the trendline in Excel?
How can I force the trendline (linear fit line) to go through the point (0,0) in Graphical Analysis.

An answer to just one of these questions would be sufficent :)

best regards
frímann kjerúlf
student of University of Iceland

Just seconds after I sent this post I figured out how to do this in Graphical Analysis :) Just use the "General Equation" Y = AN (not Y = AN + b) .

Although I am still interestd in knowing if there are some better programs for making charts, and calculating uncertanities? F.x. calculating uncertanities of a multivariable function, it can get quite cumbersome using paper and pencil.

regards
Frímann

Try gnuplot:
http://www.gnuplot.info/

http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/development/binaries/
(The version from 10-Feb-2007)
The Windows version of gnuplot is called wgnuplot.

To start wgnuplot, unzip the downloaded file and go to the folder
gnuplot\bin
There, click on
wgnuplot.exe

First of all the font in the terminal is too small, so change it with a rightclick on the terminal
background and click "Choose Font". Choose the font you like.

Then work through this excellent tutorial:
http://t16web.lanl.gov/Kawano/gnuplot/intro/index-e.html [Broken]

Other tutorials can be found here:
http://gnuplot.sourceforge.net/help.html
and there are lots more on google

-------------------------------

Here's an example on how to plot data and fit a function to it:

Code:
[b]STEP 1:[/b]
[PLAIN]http://t16web.lanl.gov/Kawano/gnuplot/intro/plotexp.dat[/PLAIN] [Broken]

[b]STEP 2:[/b]
Open the plotexp.dat file with a texteditor and replace the data
by the following:
0	0.1
1	1.03
2	2
3	3.03
4	4
5	5.03
6	6
7	7.03
8	8
9	9.03
10	10
Save the plotexp.dat file.
(Note: The first column contains the x-values and the
second one the y-values.)

[b]STEP 3:[/b]
Now put the plotexp.dat file into the folder
gnuplot\bin\

[b]STEP 4:[/b]
Start wgnuplot and type the following in the wgnuplot terminal:
gnuplot> plot "plotexp.dat"

This creates a plot of the datapoints.

You can label the x- and y-axis and put a title. Type in the terminal:
gnuplot> set xlabel "name of x-axis"
gnuplot> set ylabel "name of y-axis"
gnuplot> set title "this is the title"
gnuplot> plot "plotexp.dat"

gnuplot> plot "plotexp.dat"
you can also type
gnuplot> replot)

[b]STEP 5:[/b]
Fitting a function to the datapoints:

Suppose you wanted to do a linear fit, then your function is
f(x) = a*x+b

Thus, type in the terminal:
gnuplot> f(x)=a*x+b

To fit this function to the data, type in the terminal:
gnuplot> fit f(x) "plotexp.dat" via a,b

Gnuplot determines:

Final set of parameters                         Asymptotic Standard Error
=======================            ==========================

a               = 0.995455                     +/- 0.002571     (0.2583%)
b               = 0.0454545                    +/- 0.01521      (33.47%)

The values for a and b are:
a   = (0.995455  +/- 0.002571)
b   = (0.0454545 +/- 0.01521)

(Note: You can use other functions for f(x), for example
gnuplot > f(x) = a+b*x+c*x**3
The fit-command then becomes:
gnuplot> fit f(x) "plotexp.dat" via a,b,c
Note that x**3 means x^3.)

[b]STEP 6:[/b]
To plot the data and display the fitted line together,
type in the terminal:

gnuplot> plot "plotexp.dat", f(x)

[b]STEP 7:[/b]
- You can also save the graphics and create an output as eps or postscript:

EPS (with color):
gnuplot> set term postscript eps enhanced color
gnuplot> set output "color.eps"
gnuplot> replot
(Note: You can also use another name for the output, e.g. type:
gnuplot> set output "myData.eps")

EPS (only mono)
gnuplot> set term postscript eps enhanced monochrome
gnuplot> set output "mono.eps"
gnuplot> replot

POSTSCRIPT:
gnuplot> set term postscript
gnuplot> set output "data.ps"
gnuplot> replot
(To view ps files, you need a program called Ghostview and Ghostscript,
[url]http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/gsview/index.htm[/url])

You will then find the eps or ps file in the gnuplut\bin folder.

Finished!

NOTE:
- By pressing up and down key (on your keyboard) in the terminal, you can choose former commands you typed