Working with Spreadsheet

A spreadsheet package is an application software that does analysis, calculations, comparisons and displays
information in required format and in charts and graphs.

By using a spreadsheet application, a user can arrange and store data in systematic manner and can also make
use of logical functions to compute and analyze the data in different ways.

Parts of a Workbook Screen

Menu Bar
Standard Toolbar

Formatting Tool Bar

Formula Bar

Rows – Set of rectangular boxes that are placed on top of each other in a horizontal position. They are
numbered from top to bottom along the left edge of the worksheet.
Row numbers – 1,2,3,4…….

Columns - The vertical set of rectangular boxes that are placed adjacent to each other. Columns are labeled
from left to right.
Column labels – A,B,C,D, ……..
Cells – intersection of a row and a column
Name box – displays the cell reference (address), for example A1 or D10.

Active Cell – The selected or activated cell is referred as the active cell which is always highlighted with a
thick border.
The address of the active cell is displayed in the name box for example, A1.

Cell Address – Each cell has a unique address which identifies its location. A cell address is identified with
its column position followed by its row number.
Example: A5 Cell address – A is the column label and 5 is the row number.
 Write the cell address of the following:
 First row and first column……….
Ans: A1
  Seventh column and tenth row ………..
Ans:G10
 The cell address LK89 is situated in row number …………… and column number…………
Ans: row number 89 and column number LK

Range of Cells
A group of cells is known as a cell range.
A range comprises of two or more selected cells and those selected cells need not be adjacent to each other.

Rather than a single cell address, you will refer to a cell range using the cell addresses of the first and last
cell in the cell range separated by a colon.
For example, a cell range that includes cells A1,A2,A3,A4 and A5 would be written as A1:A5

Figure shows a cell range A1:A5

Figure shows a cell range A1:C1

Formula
A formula is an expression that helps to perform arithmetical calculation and also executes non-arithmetical
tasks. It consists of the operands and operators that operate on the data. Formula has to be expressed with
prefix ‘=’ before the operator/data.
Example1: How to add values 5 and 4 in a spreadsheet.

In cell C1 enter =A1+B1 then press enter

Result 9 can be seen in cell C1

Example2: Suppose, the data entered in cells A1,A2,A3 and A4 are 5,15,20 and 60 respectively. In a cell A5,
a formula is entered to calculate the sum of these numbers with cell address; thus it will be displayed as
‘=A1+A2+A3+A4’.
Functions – In built formula in calc that can be used to perform arithmetical and non-arithmetical tasks.
A function contains ‘Name’ and ‘Arguments’.

For example, a formula, say A6=A1+A2+A3+A4+A5 can be written using the ‘SUM’ function along with
the cell range as: A6=SUM(A1:A5)

=SUM(A1:A5)

Name Argument

Operator – is a symbol that performs certain mathematical or logical operations. In a cell, the calculation
takes place in the order of precedence of operators (in a similar way as BODMAS in mathematics)

Operator Description
: Reference operator (as in A2:A20)
- Negation operator
*,/ Multiplication, Division
& Text Concatenation
,; Argument separator
^ Exponent
+,- Addition, Subtraction
>,<,>=,<=,<> Comparison Operator

Examples:
A1+B1 - performs addition of values present in cell A1 and B1
A1+B1+2 - performs addition of values present in cell A1+B1 and value 2 is added with this result. If A1
value 10, and B1 value 20 then result will be 10+20+2=32
A1+B1*2^3 - performs 2^3 then multiplies this result with B1 and adds it to A1
If A1 is 2 and A2 is 5 then 2+5*2^3
Which is 2+5*8
Which is 2+40. So the result will be 42.
In built functions:
SUM(X;Y;..) – produces the sum of the numbers for a range of cells
ABS(X) – produces the positive absolute value of a given integer
AVERAGE() – produces the average of the given arguments
AVERAGE(10;20;30) displays output 20
MAX() – Produces the largest value from the given range of cells
MIN() – Produces the smallest value from the given range of cells
Examples
ABS(-5)
MIN(5,-10,3,-50)

MAX(5,-10,3,-50)
Cell Referencing
Using a cell address in a formula or function is known as cell reference.
Three types
Relative referencing – Whenever a formula or function is copied to some other cell, the address in the
formula or function changes relative to the location where it is copied. This is known as relative referencing.
In a spreadsheet cell referencing by default is relative referencing.
Suppose a formula is written in cell C1 as =A1-B1. If we copy this formula to C2, then the row number will
increase by 1 and the new formula in cell C2 will be =A2-B2

In the above example we are going to add values in cell A1 and B1 using sum function. The formula written
is =SUM(A1+B1)
It computes the sum and result is 15
If you copy and paste the formula anywhere in the sheet, the row and the column change with respect to its
position.

In the above sheet, the cell C1 is copied and pasted in cell C2. Now the formula automatically changed with
respect to its position. You can see this in the formula bar (=SUM(A2:B2))
Absolute referencing – Sometimes, we do not want the address in the formula to change with respect to the
location and we need to fix a cell. Thus, if we copy the formula anywhere across a worksheet, the cell address
in the formula does not change. This fixing of a cell in a formula/function so that its location does not change
with respect to the location where it is copied, is known as absolute referencing.
The dollar sign ($) is used in front of a column name and a row number to make it an absolute cell reference.
Example: $A$1 – here column and row fixed.
In the above example we are going to add values in cell A1 and B1 using sum function. The formula written
is =SUM($A$1+$B$1)
It computes the sum and result is 15

If you copy this formula and paste it anywhere in the worksheet then the row and column numbers is not
going to change. It is fixed. But in the case of relative referencing the row and column changes with respect
to its position.
Mixed Referencing – The combination of a fixed column and a relative row or a fixed row and a relative
column
Example: $F10 – here Column is fixed.
F$10 – here row is fixed

Example1: The formula in “=MAX(A1:A5 )“ stored in cell A6 when copied to B6 will change to ________
Ans: =MAX(B1:B5).
Example 2: What happens if we copy the formula “=MAX($A$1:$A$5 )“ stored in cell A6 to B6?
Ans: The formula remains same in cell B6. “=MAX($A$1:$A$5 )“. This is because it uses absolute
referencing where column and row is fixed.
Auto Fill
An additional feature in spreadsheet in which a certain kind of predefined series of data such as name of
months of a year, serial number, etc., are automatically generated once the user feeds the initial data.
Steps
a. Type the initial data
b. Select the cell. An AutoFill handle (a small black plus sign) appears on the bottom-right corner of the
selected cell.
c. Click the AutoFill handle tool and drag it over the range of cells to fill the defined series and then
release the mouse button.