Fill the series in range B4:F4 with a linear trend.
1. Select cells B4:F4
2. In the home tab, go all the way to the right where the last cell is
3. Click “Fill”
4. Go down wnd select series
5. Check the “Trend box” with all the default settings
6. Then click okay.
The correct answer and explanation is:
To fill a series in cells B4:F4 with a linear trend, the values should be calculated based on the starting value in B4 and evenly distributed across the range to maintain a consistent trend.
Example:
Let’s assume:
- B4 = 1
- F4 = 5 (value to end the trend)
The linear trend would increment by 1 across the range. The filled values in B4:F4 would be: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Explanation:
A linear trend means the values increase or decrease evenly across the selected range. This is achieved by dividing the total change by the number of steps between cells. Here’s how it works:
- Start and End Points:
- The starting value is the value in the first cell (B4). In our example, it is 1.
- The ending value is calculated or derived based on the range and settings. In this example, the value in F4 is 5.
- Steps in the Range:
- The range B4:F4 contains five cells (B4, C4, D4, E4, F4).
- Since it’s a linear trend, the values need to be distributed evenly.
- Increment Calculation:
- The difference between the start and end values is divided by the total number of steps minus one (because the first value already occupies the start point).
- Increment = (End Value – Start Value) / (Number of Steps – 1).
- Increment = (5 – 1) / (5 – 1) = 1.
- Trend Box Default Settings:
- By default, the Excel “Trend” option calculates and fills these values automatically when the “Trend” checkbox is selected.
- Result Verification:
- The series values follow a consistent pattern, with each successive value increasing by the calculated increment.
This process ensures that the values form a smooth linear progression, making it useful for forecasting or data interpolation.