Excel is a spreadsheet program



SPREADSHEET TIPS

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xcel is a spreadsheet program. Spreadsheet programs are model-building tools. You set relations between cells by writing formulas, and see what happens when you change values of variables. If, for example, you enter a formula like

=A1

in cell C1, you ask the program to display in C1 the value that is in A1[1].

When entering formulas, it is easy to run into trouble if you write a cell address manually (you may mistype the address). It is safer to let the program write the address by pointing to it, using either the keyboard or the mouse. This method is especially handy when entering an address in another sheet. Another common mistake to watch out: When entering an address in another worksheet, do not unnecessarily move from one sheet to the other. For example, you are entering a formula in a cell in Sheet1 and you refer to a cell in Sheet2, like =Sheet2!A1. Now, if you move back to Sheet1 before completing the formula, the formula bar will change to =Sheet1!A1, which is incorrect.

Arithmetic operations and their operators:

|Operation |Sign |Name |

|Addition |+ |Plus |

|Subtraction |- |Minus |

|Multiplication |* |Asterisk |

|Division |/ |Slash |

|Exponentiation |^ |Caret |

When you need to enter a value (numeric or alphanumeric) more than once, make sure that they are interrelated with a formula. Otherwise, if one of them is changed, the others will remain unchanged.

Below are some common arithmetic operators:

|Conventional notation |Excel notation |

|A1 + B1 |=A1+B1 |

|A1 – B1 |=A1-B1 |

|A1 x B1 |=A1*B1 |

|A1 |=A1/B1 |

|B1 | |

|A1B1 |=A1^B1 |

|[pic] |=A1^(1/B1) |

You can test a condition, like whether values of two cells are equal, with a formula like

=A1=B1

in cell C1. It reads like “is the value in cell A1 equal to the value in cell B1?” The formula will return either TRUE or FALSE, as illustrated below:

| |A |B |C |Formulas in column C |

|1 |25 |50 |FALSE |=A1=B1 |

|2 |25 |50 |TRUE |=A2 ................
................

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