LibreOffice Calc: Goal Seek

Goal Seek can be used to solve equations.

The following is how I understand it.

Let’s imagine this scenario: cost is 1000 +0.44x, while revenue is 1.5x, where x is units sold. What, then, is the break-even point for units sold?

In LibreOffice Calc, Goal Seek could be used to find the break-even point.

In one cell (say a3), one types the formula 1.5*c3 – 0.44*c3 – 1000.

It seems to me that the variable cell (in this case c3) needs to be initialized in order for Goal Seek to work. So, in this case, one might just enter 0 in c3.

Next, in the Tools menu, find Goal Seek. It first asks what the Formula cell is, which in this case would be a3. Next, it asks what the Target value is: in this case, 0. Finally, it asks for the Variable cell: in this case, c3. Next, click OK or else press Enter.

When I did so, Goal Seek replied that it had succeeded, and that the answer would be 943.396 (to 3 decimal places). It asked if I would like that value entered into the variable cell, and I clicked Yes. 943.396 then appeared in c3.

Slick, eh?

Source:

help.libreoffice.org

-JS

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