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How to Graph Ground Water Percolation Results

Ground water percolation is an important measurement for water conservationists and scientists who study aquifers, which are underground reservoirs of fresh water. The percolation rate is the rate at which a stream bed or other rain-charged surface absorbs water. Graphing this rate over time allows scientists to estimate the recharge rate of underground water reserves that feed wells. Percolation rates are also important to measure for man-made surfaces, such as concrete, to estimate the impact of building in environmentally sensitive areas.

Things You'll Need

Percolation results sorted by time period
Spreadsheet software

Instructions

- 1
  Open the spreadsheet software. Popular programs include Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers and Google Docs Spreadsheet. There are small differences in each program, but for a simple graph of results, they essentially work the same way.
- 2
  Make a header row in the grid. This will set up your table columns. The column headers should be, in order: Percolation Rate, Date/Time of Measurement, Drop in Water Level and Duration of Measurement. For the purpose of this instruction, the columns are assumed to be A, B, C and D on the spreadsheet, respectively.
- 3
  Enter the data for columns B, C and D. These recordings should have already been taken in the field and written down in an easy-to-understand grid.
- 4
  Input the formula for the percolation rate. Under column A (Percolation Rate), in the first row of measurements (which should be row 2), type "=C2/D2" to have the cell calculate the percolation rate. Copy and paste this formula into the remaining cells of the column. The spreadsheet software will automatically translate the formula to calculate each row.
- 5
  Click and drag the mouse to highlight all of columns A and B, including the headers.
- 6
  Click on the "Insert chart" button in the formatting button area above the spreadsheet. This looks slightly different depending on the program you use, but usually looks like a bar chart.
- 7
  Choose "Scatter" as the chart type. Click "insert" to add the graph to the spreadsheet.

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