Excel Tutorial
Excel Goal Seek & Solver
Goal Seek
Goal Seek is part of a suite of commands sometimes called what- if analysis (A process of changing the values in cells to see how those changes affect the outcome of formulas on the worksheet). For example, varying the interest rate that is used in an amortization table to determine the amount of the payments.) tools. When you know the desired result of a single formula but not the input value the formula needs to determine the result, you can use the Goal Seek feature available by clicking Goal Seek on the Tools menu. When goal seeking Microsoft Excel varies the value in one specific cell until a formula that's dependent on that cell returns the result you want.
Solver
Solver is part of a suite of commands sometimes called what-if analysis tools. With Solver, you can find an optimal value for a formula in one cell( called the target cell) on a worksheet. Solver works with a group of cells that are related, either directly or indirectly, to the formula in the target cell. Solver adjusts the values in the changing cells you specify (called the adjustable cells) to produce the result you specify from the target cell formula. You can apply constraints (The limitations placed on a Solver problem. You can apply constraints to adjustable cells, the target cell, or other cells that are directly or indirectly related to the target cell) to restrict the values Solver can use in the model, and the constraints can refer to other cells that affect the target cell formula.
Use Solver to determine the maximum or minimum value of one cell by changing other cells- for example, you can change the amount of your projected advertising budget and see the affect on your projected profit amount.