Create a Lineweaver-Burk Plot in ExcelFollow these steps to create a Lineweaver-Burk plot in Excel

Written By:
Patrick Louie

The versatility of Excel should not be understated. With it, you can perform various mathematical, scientific, or even statistical calculations.

It’s even used by experts in highly technical fields such as finance, and scientific research.

So if you have a complex chart or graph that you have to plot, then you may want to take a look at Excel and find out if you make such or graph with it.

For example, let’s say that you’re looking to create a Lineweaver-Burk Plot (a.k.a. double-reciprocal graph).

You may think that a graph this complicated cannot be done in Excel.

But you can, actually.

There’s no dedicated button or function in Excel yet that instantly creates a Lineweaver-Burk graph.

But with a few setups here and there, I assure you that it’s entirely doable.

Don’t believe me?

Stick around and allow me to show you how.

What is a Lineweaver-Burk Plot?

But first, before we go into making a Lineweaver-Bulk plot in Excel, let’s learn what it is and what it represents.

The Lineweaver-Burk plot is a graph that represents the Lineweaver-Burk equation of enzyme kinetics (hence, its name).

Its values on both x- and y-axes are the reciprocal of the actual data, which is also why we refer to it as a double-reciprocal graph.

It serves to present a visual representation of how quickly an enzyme converts its substrate to its output.

The Lineweaver-Burk plot works best when the enzyme kinetics obeys ideal second-order kinetics.

The Lineweaver-Burk plot is mainly used in biochemistry.

It is usually used with other linear forms such as the Hanes-Woolf plot or the Eadstie-Hofstee plot.

The Components of a Lineweaver-Burk Plot

To create a Lineweaver-Burk plot, you will need two sets of variables, which are both reciprocals of actual data: (1) Substrate Concentration, represented by S, and (2) Initial Velocity, represented by Vo.

How to Create a Lineweaver-Burk Plot in Excel

Now that we know the basics of a Lineweaver-Burk plot, let’s proceed to create one in Excel.

To start, we need data to work on. We’ll be using the following dataset for illustration:

Set Up the Data

To create a Lineweaver-Burk plot, we need the reciprocals of the above values.

  • Create the following column headers: 1/S, and 1/Vo. Ideally, you want these new columns to be adjacent to the actual data. In our illustration, cell C1 will contain the column header 1/S while cell D1 will contain the column header 1/Vo.

  • Let’s fill up the first empty cell of column 1/S. In cell C2, enter the formula =1/A2. Press the Enter key after doing so. This will give us the reciprocal of the value in cell A2.

  • Copy-paste the formula to the rest of the column (until the next empty row).

  • Next, we’ll fill up the 1/Vo In cell D2, enter the formula =1/B2. Press the Enter key after doing so. This will give us the reciprocal of the value in cell B2.

  • Copy-paste the formula to the rest of the column (until the next empty row).

We now have the data required to create a Lineweaver-Burk plot.

Insert a Scatter Plot

The next thing we have to do is to insert a scatter plot. This will become the base for our Lineweaver-Burk plot.

  • Select the cells that contain the values that will create the Lineweaver-Burk plot. In our illustration, this will be cells C1:D11.

  • Insert a scatter plot. To do so, open the Insert tab. In the center of the ribbon, we’ll see the Charts section. What we need here is to click the Insert Scatter or Bubble Chart button which is as follows:

  • Among the options, select Scatter. This will create a scatter plot with no lines, only markers.

  • We now have our base for our Lineweaver-Burk plot.

Modify Scatter Plot to Create a Lineweaver-Burk Plot

Now that we have our base for our Lineweaver-Burk plot, we need to modify it to look like one.

  • Right-click on any point/marker on the scatter plot. This will present you with a list of options. Select Add Trendline from among them. This will open the Format Trendline side window.

  • For Trendline Options, select Linear.

  • For Forecast, set a suitable Backward value to extend the trendline. For our illustration, this value will be 0.55 periods.

  • Lastly, check the box next to Display Equation on Chart.

  • We now have our Lineweaver-Burk Plot.

  • To make it more presentable, let’s choose a different chart design. We’ll also change the Chart Title to Lineweaver-Burk Plot.

So to summarize, we need to (1) set up the data (derive reciprocals from actual data), (2) insert a scatter plot, and (3) modify the scatter plot to make it look like a Lineweaver-Burk plot.

Conclusion

And that’s how you  create a Lineweaver-Burk plot in Excel.

While it’s not as quick as clicking a dedicated button, it’s not really that hard or complicated to do.

With your learnings here, you should be able to create a Lineweaver-Burk plot whenever you have to.