Graphs of voltage, current, and power waveforms, as well as transfer functions are extremely useful in the classroom for illustrating theoretical points, yet their preparation is laborious when done by hand. Preparing them using traditional programming languages requires some level of mastery of those languages and debugging such programs is an error-prone process, to put it mildly. These difficulties often lead to the continual re-use of identical plots, sometimes undermining the learning process. Such obstacles also discourage the preparation of original quiz or test questions, making it more tempting for students to substitute memory work for real learning. In this paper, we explore the preparation of customized plots using Microsoft Excel, a widely available spreadsheet program. The author has used this method extensively in teaching electrical engineering to students in the humanities and in other engineering disciplines.
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