Excel Functions: Using Reference Operators
Excel Functions: Using Reference Operators
You can use Excel functions to perform mathematical calculations. This Microsoft Excel
tutorial teaches you how to create and use Excel functions. It takes you step-by-step
through the process.
A range reference refers to all the cells between and including the reference. A
range reference consists of two cell addresses separated by a colon. The
reference A1:A3 includes cells A1, A2, and A3. The reference A1:C3 includes
cells A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3.
Understanding Functions
=SUM(2,13,A1,B2:C7)
In this function:
After you type the first letter of a function name, the AutoComplete list appears.
You can double-click on an item in the AutoComplete list to complete your
entry quickly. Excel will complete the function name and enter the first
parenthesis.
EXERCISE 1
Functions
Format worksheet
As you learned in Lesson 2, you can also calculate a sum by using the AutoSum
button .
Calculate an Average
You can use the AVERAGE function to calculate the average of a series of
numbers.
1. Move to cell A6.
2. Type Average. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B6.
3. Type =AVERAGE(B1:B3).
4. Press Enter. The average of cells B1 to B3, which is 21, appears.
In Microsoft Excel, you can use the AutoSum button to calculate an average.
You can use the MIN function to find the lowest number in a series of numbers.
Note: You can also use the drop-down button next to the AutoSum button
to calculate minimums, maximums, and counts.
You can use the MAX function to find the highest number in a series of
numbers.
You can use the count function to count the number of numbers in a series.
7. Select B1 to B3.
8. Press Enter. The number of items in the series, which is 3, appears.
You can use Microsoft Excel to fill cells automatically with a series. For
example, you can have Excel automatically fill your worksheet with days of the
week, months of the year, years, or other types of series.
EXERCISE 2
Copy Cells
1. Click the Auto Fill Options button. The Auto Fill Options menu appears.
2. Choose the Copy Cells radio button. The entry in cells A1 and B1 are
copied to all the highlighted cells.
3. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
4. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series from Sunday
to Saturday again.
5. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
6. Choose the Fill Without Formatting radio button. The cells fill as a series
from Sunday to Saturday, but the entries are not bolded.
7. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
8. Choose the Fill Weekdays radio button. The cells fill as a series from
Monday to Friday.
Some of the entries in column B are too long to fit in the column. You can
quickly adjust the column width to fit the longest entry.
1. Move your mouse pointer over the line that separates column B and C.
The Width Indicator appears.
After you complete the remainder of the exercise, your worksheet will look like
the one shown here.
Fill Times
Fill Numbers
1. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells D1 to
D14. The number 1 fills each cell.
2. Click the Auto Fill Options button.
3. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series, starting with
1, 2, 3.
1. Go to cell E1.
2. Type Lesson 1.
3. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells E1 to
E14. The cells fill in as a series: Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, and so on.
You can use the Header & Footer button on the Insert tab to create headers and
footers. A header is text that appears at the top of every page of your printed
worksheet. A footer is text that appears at the bottom of every page of your
printed worksheet. When you click the Header & Footer button, the Design
context tab appears and Excel changes to Page Layout view. A context tab is a
tab that only appears when you need it. Page Layout view structures your
worksheet so that you can easily change the format of your document. You
usually work in Normal view.
You can type in your header or footer or you can use predefined headers and
footers. To find predefined headers and footers, click the Header or Footer
button or use the Header & Footer Elements group's buttons. When you choose a
header or footer by clicking the Header or Footer button, Excel centers your
choice. The table shown here describes each of the Header & Footer Elements
group button options.
EXERCISE 3
There are many print options. You set print options on the Page Layout tab.
Among other things, you can set your margins, set your page orientation, and
select your paper size.
Margins define the amount of white space that appears on the top, bottom, left,
and right edges of your document. The Margin option on the Page Layout tab
provides several standard margin sizes from which you can choose.
There are two page orientations: portrait and landscape. Paper, such as paper
sized 8 1/2 by 11, is longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in
Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page. Portrait is
the default option. If you print in Landscape, the longest edge of the paper
becomes the top of the page.
Portrait
Landscape
EXERCISE 4
The simplest way to print is to click the Office button, highlight Print on the
menu that appears, and then click Quick Print in the Preview and Print the
Document pane. Dotted lines appear on your screen, and your document prints.
The dotted lines indicate the right, left, top, and bottom edges of your printed
pages.
You can also use the Print Preview option to print. When using Print Preview,
you can see onscreen how your printed document will look when you print it. If
you click the Page Setup button while in Print Preview mode, you can set page
settings such as centering your data on the page.
If your document is several pages long, you can use the Next Page and Previous
Page buttons to move forward and backward through your document. If you
check the Show Margins check box, you will see margin lines on your
document. You can click and drag the margin markers to increase or decrease
the size of your margins. To return to Excel, click the Close Print Preview
button.
You click the Print button when you are ready to print. The Print dialog box
appears. You can choose to print the entire worksheet or specific pages. If you
want to print specific pages, enter the page numbers in the From and To fields.
You can enter the number of copies you want to print in the Number of Copies
field.
EXERCISE 5
Print
1. Click the Print button. The Print dialog box appears.
2. Click the down arrow next to the name field and select the printer to
which you want to print.
3. Click OK. Excel sends your worksheet to the printer.
This is the end of Lesson 3. You can save and close your file.