Due: Thursday, October 27

In class Thursday 10/22 we worked through the material in Sections 1-5 of Chapter 7. We will think about Section 6 on Tuesday. The exercises cover all of that material - start the ones you can now. Ask about problems on Tuesday. Don't leave everything for Wednesday night.

I haven't yet decided how much time to spend (and how many questions to ask) about taxes - the last section in the chapter.

When an Exercise calls for Excel, turn in two hard copies of your spreadsheet, one showing the numbers and one showing the formulas you used to calculate those numbers. (The charts need to look good only on the version with numbers.)

Consider answering the questions by writing in the spreadsheet. (You don't have to do that - handwritten answers are still OK.)

1. Common Sense, Exercise 7.8.11.

   You will want to use Excel's "what if" ability to figure out the answer for current gas prices (less than they were when I wrote that section of the book).

   Hint:

   dollars per mile = (dollars per gallon) * (gallons per mile)
                    = (dollars per gallon) / (miles per gallon)
   

2. Common Sense, Exercise 7.8.3.

3. Common Sense, Exercise 7.8.28.

4. Read and think about my comments on your term paper topic possibilities, choose the one you will work on, and write a few paragraphs spelling out your thoughts. What questions do you want to answer? What do you think the answers will turn out to be? How will you find the data you need?

   Organize your answer as a draft of the introduction to your actual paper. Of course you will change it as the project grows (the introduction is always the last thing you finish). But starting with it will be a good way to organize your thoughts.