XL: How to Create a Biorhythm Chart

Last reviewed: February 20, 1998
Article ID: Q151439

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition
Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

It is possible to use Microsoft Excel to create a biorhythm chart. A biorhythm chart tracks the physical, emotional, and intellectual cycles of a person over a 29-day period. These three cycles are further broken down to the following day periods:

   Physical:      23-day period
   Emotional:     28-day period
   Intellectual:  33-day period

MORE INFORMATION

On a chart, these three cycles duplicate a sine wave pattern. Days that fall above the X-axis are said to be good days, and conversely, days that fall below the X-axis are said to be bad. To chart a biorhythm, follow these steps:

Enter the following data in a worksheet:

      A1: Name:           B1:                    C1:
      A2: Birth date:     B2:                    C2:
      A3: Today's Date:   B3:                    C3:
      A4:                 B4:                    C4:
      A5:                 B5: Days Elapsed       C5:
      A6: Period          B6: Since Birth Date   C6: Date
      A7:                 B7:                    C7:
      A8:                 B8:                    C8:

In cell B3, type the following formula to return the current date:
```
      B3: =TODAY()
```
In cell B2, type the date of birth of the person whose biorhythm is being charted. In cell B1, type the name.
To create a series that will represent the days in each 29-day period, type the following values into the following cells:
```
      A7: -14
      A8: -13
```
Select cells A7:A8. Use the fill handle to fill the cells down through cells A9:A35.
In cell B7, type the following formula to calculate the number of days that have elapsed between the day in the 29-day period and the birth date:
```
      B7: =$B$3+A7-$B$2
```
With cell B7 selected, use the fill handle to fill the formula down through cell B35.
To create the dates that fall in the 29-day period, enter the following formula in cell C7, and then fill it down to cell C35:
```
      C7: =$B$3+A7
```

Type the following data in the worksheet:

      D6: Physical
      D7: =SIN(MOD($B7,23)*2*PI()/23)

      E6: Emotional
      E7: =SIN(MOD($B7,28)*2*PI()/28)

      F6: Intellectual
      F7: =SIN(MOD($B7,33)*2*PI()/33)

Select cells D7:F7 and fill the formulas down through cells D35:F35.

To create the chart do the following:
In versions 5.0 and 7.0 -----------------------
a. Select the following range of cells on the worksheet: C6:F35.
b. On the Insert menu, click Chart, and then As New Sheet. Click
```
      Next.
```
c. In the ChartWizard box, under "Select a chart type," click Line,
```
      and then click Next.
```
d. Under "Select a format for the Line chart," click chart type 1,
```
      and then click Finish.
```
e. Double-click the Y-axis. Click the Patterns tab. Under Axis,
```
      click to select None, and then click OK.
```
f. Double-click the Legend. On the Format menu, click the Placement
```
      tab. Under Type, click to select Bottom, and then click OK.
```
g. Double-click the Emotional data line. Click the Patterns
```
      tab. Under Marker, click to select Custom. Click the Marker
      Style arrow, click the triangle (the third option), and click
      OK.
```
h. Double-click the Intellectual data line. Click the Patterns
```
      tab. Under Marker, click to select the Custom option button.
      Click the Marker Style arrow, click the circle (the eighth
      option), and then click OK.
```
i. On the Insert menu, click Titles. Click to select the Chart
```
      Title check box next to Chart Title. Click OK. Type "Biorhythm
      Chart" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
```
In Microsoft Excel 97 and Microsoft Excel 98 --------------------------------------------
a. Select the following range of cells on the worksheet: C6:F35.
b. On the Insert menu, click Chart.
c. In the Chart Wizard, Step 1, box, under "Chart type," click
```
      Line, and then click Next.
```
d. Under "Select a format for the Line chart," click chart type 1,
```
      and then click Next.
```
e. Click Next in Steps 2 and 3.
f. In Step 4 click "As new sheet:," and then click Finish.
g. Double-click the Y-axis. Click the Patterns tab. Under Axis,
```
      click to select None, and then click OK.
```
h. Double-click the Legend. On the Format menu, click the Placement
```
      tab. Under Type, click to select Bottom, and then click OK.
```
i. Double-click the Emotional data line. Click the Patterns
```
      tab. Under Marker, click to select Custom. Click the Marker
      Style arrow, click the triangle (the third option), and then click
      OK.
```
j. Double-click the Intellectual data line. Click the Patterns
```
      tab. Under Marker, click to select the Custom option button.
      Click the Marker Style arrow, click the circle (the eighth
      option), and then click OK.
```
k. On the Chart menu, click Chart Options. Click the Titles tab. In
```
      the Chart title box, type "Biorhythm Chart" (without the
      quotation marks), and then click OK.
```

REFERENCES

For more information about charting in Microsoft Excel version 7.0, click Answer Wizard on the Help menu and type:

   creating and formatting charts

For more information about charting in Microsoft Excel version 5.0, click the Search button in Help and type:

   chart

Additional query words: 5.00 5.00a 5.00c 7.00 8.00 XL98 XL97 XL7 XL5
Keywords : kbcode kbprg PgmHowto
Version : WINDOWS:5.0,5.0c,7.0,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a,98
Platform : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto

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Last reviewed: February 20, 1998
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