Spreadsheet Concepts

Information Processing Notes for beginning our

Excel Unit

Vocabulary

Spreadsheet – A spreadsheet is a type of software for organizing, analyzing, and presenting data in columns and rows. It can also refer to the type of document that you create with this software. It is most useful for dealing with numerical data, and is one of the most frequently used applications in business.

Microsoft Excel – Excel is the spreadsheet program that is part of the Microsoft Office suite.

Workbook – Every Microsoft Excel file is called a workbook.

  Worksheet – Within a workbook, there are one or

more worksheets. The user usually only sees and works on one worksheet at a time.

Cell – Each box within a spreadsheet is called a cell. A cell can be identified by its column letter and row number.

Column – Identified by a letter, this is a group of cells that goes from top to bottom

Row – Identified by a number, this is a group of cells that goes from left to right

Active Cell – The cell you currently have selected

Range – A group of adjacent cells that can be selected or referenced within a function

Formula – A formula performs a mathematical calculation using the data in one or more cells and displays the result in a different cell.

Function – A function performs special operations within a cell, such as calculate the sum or average for a range of cells.

Relative Addressing – A feature whereby copying and pasting a formula or function from one cell to another will change the formula and function to reflect data in the destination columns/rows.

Entering and Formatting Data

Sounds easy enough, but there are some techniques and features you may need to utilize to get your data to “look right.” For example, you might want your data to be formatted as a number with a certain number of decimal places. You might want all decimals to be rounded to the nearest integer, or changed to a percent. Or, you might want to set up borders and shading around a cell or a range of cells. Excel gives you the ability to do all of these.

Within the Home ribbon, there is a group called Cells. Within that group, there is a button that says Format. This is where you can adjust how a cell displays data and looks visually. Some of the most commonly used formats can also be set by using buttons in the Number and Styles groups on the Home ribbon. Inserting and deleting rows is also done via buttons in the Cells group on the Home ribbon. Using relative addressing, formulas and functions will automatically adjust to account for the new row/column.

Formulas

A formula calculates data for a cell using mathematical operations. It might add the data in two cells together. It might multiply the data in one cell by 4.  All formulas begin with an equal sign (=). Use the cell names (column letter and row number) to reference cells within a formula.

Functions

A function can be used for more complex calculations or to perform a specific logical or mathematical operation. It also starts with an equal sign. The variables for the function go inside parentheses.

We will start by doing mathematical functions, such as SUM and AVERAGE.

A range of cells can be selected with the mouse or typed in manually after the parentheses.