Excel: Summary 3 Data Sets

[GGleason]

I have 3 sets of data. Each data set has 2 columns, Time and Thrust. I want to sum the results, but the times are different for each. Here is sample data (comma delimited):

Time, Thrust (N), Time, Thrust (N), Time, Thrust (N)
0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0
0.016, 4.086, 0.009, 2.078, 0.027, 0.975
0.023, 11.44, 0.011, 3.896, 0.081, 4.777
0.035, 14.546, 0.014, 14.286, 0.122, 8.577
0.058, 21.411, 0.023, 31.948, 0.162, 12.865
0.074, 21.739, 0.032, 32.468, 0.184, 14.035
0.09, 21.087, 0.038, 30.909, 0.198, 13.354
0.101, 21.742, 0.048, 30.909, 0.203, 11.309
0.125, 22.071, 0.079, 29.87, 0.217, 8.095
0.145, 22.072, 0.104, 30.13, 0.244, 6.148

What is the best strategy to get a new time and sum column so I can chart the aggregate thrust curve?

GGleason

 

[SkipVought]

Check it out. It's your data and you ought to be the expert.

I plotted all three in separate charts. Yes, each plot has increasing initial values. The I changed the MAX Scale value on the x-axis so that all three matched on the time axis.

You can VISUALLY see that the rate of change of thrust varies tremendiously. The SECOND set of values has the quickest rate of increase in thrust. The THIRD, has the SLOWEST reate of increase.

So if you aggregate the three, which does not seem right to me, unless you would do something to mormalize the points, you get a jagged plot!!!

Skip,
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[GGleason]

Yes, yes, that is a correct observation on the 3 thrust curves.

In my proposed solution I am "filling in the blanks" and making an assumption that the thrust data between 2 points is somewhat linear in nature. While that is not exact, it serves as a valuable approximation. It is at least a much better approximation than 0. So for each time point I will have at least one real thrust value (sometimes 2) and two estimated thrust values based on linear interpolation. The aggregate curve will be close enough to be useful.

GGleason

 

[SkipVought]

"So for each time point I will have at least one real thrust value (sometimes 2) "

So what's the LOGIC for determining this, especially with THREE sets of data with disparate times?

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