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Spreadsheets: Formulas and Functions

A spreadsheet is an electronic file that organizes data into rows and columns. It can perform calculations and sort data. Microsoft Excel is the most popular spreadsheet program. In Excel, a worksheet contains cells organized into rows and columns. Formulas in Excel begin with an equal sign and perform calculations using cell references, values, and operators. Functions are preset formulas that perform specific tasks like calculating sums, averages, or returning the largest or smallest value in a range. Commonly used functions include SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT, and COUNTA.

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Candice Thomas
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121 views

Spreadsheets: Formulas and Functions

A spreadsheet is an electronic file that organizes data into rows and columns. It can perform calculations and sort data. Microsoft Excel is the most popular spreadsheet program. In Excel, a worksheet contains cells organized into rows and columns. Formulas in Excel begin with an equal sign and perform calculations using cell references, values, and operators. Functions are preset formulas that perform specific tasks like calculating sums, averages, or returning the largest or smallest value in a range. Commonly used functions include SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT, and COUNTA.

Uploaded by

Candice Thomas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Information Technology

Topic: Spreadsheet
Sub-topic: Functions and Formulas
Pool 4:4A

What is a Spreadsheet
A spreadsheet is a file that exists of cells in rows and columns and can help arrange, calculate
and sort data. Data in a spreadsheet can be numeric (values), as well as text (labels), formulas,
references and functions. A spreadsheet program is ELECTRONIC PAPER also called
a WORKSHEET.

The most popular application software for spreadsheet is Microsoft Excel. With MS Excel, you
can have multiple worksheets contained in a Work Book (a single Excel file). A worksheet in
Excel is made up of Rows and Columns.

Rows in Excel worksheet


Similar to a Row in any table, a Row in Excel worksheet runs horizontally. Rows in Excel
worksheet are identified by Row numbers.

Columns in Excel worksheet


Similar to a Column in any table, a Column in Excel worksheet runs vertically.
Columns in Excel worksheet are identified by Column letters.

Cells in Excel worksheet


Intersection of a Row and column in an Excel worksheet is a rectangle called as a
Cell. A Cell can store one data at a time. The data can be text, number, formula, date
etc. A Cell in Excel worksheet is identified by a Cell Address consisting of Column
letter and Row number.
Formulas

A formula in Microsoft Excel is an expression that operates on values in a range of cell addresses
and operators. For example, =A1+A2+A3, which finds the sum of the range of values from cell
A1 to cell A3. The arithmetic operators specify the arithmetic operation to use in the calculation:
ADDITION + DIVISION /
SUBUTACTION – MULTIPLICATION *

In Microsoft Excel, the value is seen in the cell while the formula can be seen in the formula bar.

How to enter a formula


To enter a formula:
1. Select a cell
2. Enter an equal sign (=)
3. Type the formula, and press enter.
Instead of typing cell references, you can point and click. All formulas in Excel must begin
with an equal sign (=).

Functions

Working in Excel, you will hear the words "formula" and "function" used frequently, sometimes
interchangeably. They are closely related, but not exactly the same. Technically, a formula
is any expression that begins with an equal sign (=).

A function, on the other hand, is a formula with a special name and purpose. In most cases,
functions have names that reflect their intended use. A function in Excel is a preset formula, that
helps perform mathematical, statistical and logical operations.

The parts of a function


In order to work correctly, a function must be written a specific way, which is called the syntax.
The basic syntax for a function is the equals sign (=), the function name (SUM, for example),
and one or more arguments. Arguments contain the information you want to calculate. The
function in the example below would add the values of the cell range A1:A20.
Commonly used Functions in Microsoft Excel

Function Name Use

SUM Adds all values in the range and returns the sum

AVERAGE Calculates and returns the average of values in the range.

MIN Compares values in a range and returns the smallest.

MAX Compares values in a range and returns the largest.

COUNT Returns the number of cells containing values.

COUNTA Returns the number of cells containing values and labels


(that are not empty).

IF Performs a logical comparison between two values. The


result of the IF function is either TRUE or FALSE.

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