St.

Ferdinand College
College of Information Technology
Business Computer 1 SY. 2024-2025
MIDTERM

MICROSOFT EXCEL MODULE

What is Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application developed by Microsoft, widely used for organizing,
analyzing, and visualizing data. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite and is popular in business,
education, and personal productivity for tasks ranging from simple data entry to advanced financial
modeling and data analysis.

What is a spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet is the computerized equivalent of a general ledger. It has taken the place of the
pencil, paper, and calculator. Spreadsheet programs were first developed for accountants but have now been adopted by
anyone wanting to prepare a budget, forecast sales data, create profit and loss statements, compare financial alternatives
and any other mathematical applications requiring calculations. The electronic spreadsheet is laid out similar to the paper
ledger sheet in that it is divided into columns and rows. Any task that can be done on paper can be performed on an
electronic spreadsheet faster and more accurately.

What can a spreadsheet do?

In contrast to a word processor, which manipulates text, a spreadsheet manipulates numerical data and text. Using a
spreadsheet, one can create budgets, analyze data, produce financial plans, and perform various other simple and complex
numerical applications. Spreadsheets can also be used for graphing data points, reporting data analyses, and organizing
and storing data.

II. FUNCTIONS AND PARTS OF EXCEL

1. Ribbon - The Ribbon is designed to help you quickly find the commands that you need to complete a task.
Commands are organized in logical groups, which are collected together under Tabs.

Each menu bar contains several different elements. On the selection of the menu, a sequence of
command options/icons will show on a ribbon. For example, if we select the "Home" tab, we will see cut, copy,
paste, bold, italic, underline, and more commands. In the same way; we can click on the "Insert" tab, we will
see tables, illustrations, additional, recommended graphics, graphics maps, among others. On the other hand,
if we select the "Formulas" option. Insert functions, auto sum recently used, finances, logic, text, time,
date, etc.
Ribbon/Toolbar is a set of commands organized into three sections.

1|Page
 o Tabs
They are the Ribbon's top part, and they include groups of related commands. Ribbon tabs include Home,
Insert, Page Layout, Formula, Data.
o Groups
They organize related commands; the name of each group is displayed below the Ribbon. For example, a
set of commands related to fonts or a group of commands related to alignment, etc.
o Commands
They appear within each group, as previously stated.

2. File Menu / Backstage File Tab - Here you will find the basic commands such as open, save, print, etc.
3. Formula Bar - is a toolbar located at the top of the worksheet, below the ribbon, and above the worksheet grid. It
displays the contents of the currently selected cell and allows users to view, enter, or edit data, formulas, or
functions in that cell.
4. Name Box - Show the location of the active cell, row, or column. We have the option of selecting multiple
options.
5. Scrollbars - are the tools that enable us to move the document's vertical and horizontal views. We can activate
this by clicking on the platform's internal bar or the arrows we have on the sides. Additionally, we can use
the mouse wheel in order to automatically scroll up or down: or use the directional keys.
6. Spreadsheet Area - It is the place where we enter our data. It includes all the rows, cells, columns, and built-in
data in the spreadsheet. We can use shortcuts to perform toolbar activities or formulas of arithmetic operations
(add, subtract, multiply, etc.). The insertion point is the blinking vertical bar known as the "cursor." It specifies
the insertion location of the typing.
7. Leaf bar - is present at the bottom of the spreadsheet, which says sheet1 is shown. This sheet bar describes the
spreadsheet which is currently being worked on. Using this, we can alternate a number of sheets or add a new one
as per our convenience.
8. Columns Bar - are a vertically ordered series of boxes across the full sheet. This column bar is located below the
formula bar. The letters of the alphabet are used to label the columns. Begin with the letter A to Z, and then
after Z, it will continue as AA, AB, and so on. The number of columns that can be used is limited to 16,384.
9. Rows bar - is the left part of the sheet where a sequence of numbers is expressed. Begin with number one (1), and
further rows will be added as we move the pointer down. There are a total of 1,048,576 rows available.
10. Cells - A rectangular box in a worksheet that can store a data value, a formula, or other
content. It is the parallelepipeds that divide the spreadsheet into many pieces, separating rows and columns. A
spreadsheet's first cell is represented by the first letter of the alphabet and the number one (A1).
11. Active Cell - The cell selected in the active worksheet.
12. Workbook - A file containing a collection of one or more worksheets.
13. Cell range - A group of adjacent cells in a worksheet. A cell range is typically referred to by its upper-left and
lower-right cells, such as A1:C3, referring to the cells in columns A, B, and C and rows 1 through 3. You can use
cell ranges to perform calculations on multiple cells at once or to apply formatting to a group of cells.
III. ENTERING DATA IN EXCEL
To enter data in Excel, simply select a cell and start typing. The text will appear on the Cell as well as on the formula bar
at the top. After entering the information, press Enter to submit the data and move to the Cell below or press tab to submit
the data and move to the Cell on the right. To enter data on a new line within a cell, i.e., insert a line break, press Alt +
Enter.

2|Page
 TYPES OF DATA
The three main types of data are Text, Number, and Formulas.
1. TEXT - is mainly used to provide headings to tables/columns, write descriptions, etc., and contain letters,
numbers, special characters. It is by default aligned to the left side of the Cell. Note: To enter a numerical value
or formula as a text, type an apostrophe before it.
2. THE NUMBER - is used for calculations, and these are aligned towards the right side of the Cell. This type of
data includes integers, decimals, percentages, currency, accounting, etc. To enter a date in Excel, type the date in
the default format mm/dd/yyyy or whichever format is selected for that Cell. To change the format, simply press
Ctrl + 1, then in the dialog box, select a date and select the appropriate format. Note: Dates and Time are also
stored as numbers in Excel. January 1, 1900, is stored as number 1, and January 2, 1900, is stored as number 2.

To convert a text to a number, simply select the Cell and click on the small down arrow next to “General”
under Home Tab and Select “Number.” Data will be converted to data with two decimal points.

3. FORMULAS
Are mathematical equations that direct Excel to perform calculations. Each formula has a specific syntax that users must
follow to make that function work. It uses hard-coded numbers and values in other cells to do calculations.
Examples are =32*(12+10) or =A2*B4 or =A2*(12+C4)
To write a formula, begin with an = or + sign and use numbers or cell references in order to indicate which
values are to be used in the calculation. Follow the steps below:
 Type = or +
 Enter cell references like A12 or F8
 Enter an operator like +, -, * or /
 Enter the second cell reference. Continue if necessary
 Hit Enter
Consider an example where there is a list of sales for 12 months, and total annual sales need to be calculated. This
can be done using an excel formula.
There are two ways of doing it – How to understand Microsoft excel; a thought that triggers you to find more and
more.
1. Create a summation formula where you add in all the numbers by typing them. Example =1787092+2467847+
…….+2359196. Even though this formula will give you a correct answer, it will not be dynamic. This formula
needs to be changed each time there is a change in the set of monthly sale values.
2. Create a formula that sums the value using cell addresses. Instead of inserting the number, we will give the cell
reference that contains the number. Example: =SUM(B2:B13)
1. SUM
The SUM() function, as the name suggests, gives the total of the selected range of cell values. It performs the
mathematical operation which is addition. =SUM(CELL:CELL) / =SUM(CELL+CELL)

2. COUNT
The function COUNT() counts the total number of cells in a range that contains a number. It does not include
the cell, which is blank, and the ones that hold data in any other format apart from
numeric. =COUNT(CELL:CELL)

3. COUNTIF
The function COUNTIF() is used to count the total number of cells within a range that meet the given
condition. =COUNTIF(Range, “Criteria”)

3|Page
4. SUBTRACTION =CELL-CELL
5. DIVISION =CELL/CELL

4|Page