Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that you can use to organize, analyze and attractively present data such as a budget or sales report. Each Excel file is a workbook that can hold many worksheets. The worksheet is a grid of columns, designated by letters, and rows, designated by numbers. The letters and numbers of the columns and row called labels are displayed in gray buttons across the top and left side of the worksheet. The intersection of a column and a row is called a cell. Each cell on the spreadsheet has a cell address that is the column letter and the row number. Cells can contain text, numbers, or mathematical formulas.
Formulas and Functions
The unique feature of a spreadsheet program such as Excel is that it allows you to create mathematical formulas and execute functions.
Formulas
Formulas are entered in the worksheet cell and must begin with an equal sign "=". The formula then includes the addresses of the cells whose values will be manipulated with appropriate operators placed in between. After the formula is typed into the cell, the calculation executes immediately and the formula itself is visible in the formula bar. See the example to the right to view the formula for calculating the subtotal for a number of textbooks. The formula multiplies the quantity and price of each textbook and adds the subtotal for each book.
Linking Worksheets
When working with formulas, you may want to use a cell from a worksheet other than your current worksheet. For example, the value of cell A1 in the current worksheet and cell A2 in the second worksheet can be added using the format "sheetname! cell-address". The formula for this example would be "=A1+Sheet2! A2" where the value of cell A1 in the current worksheet is added to the value of cell A2 in the worksheet named "Sheet2".
Formatting Worksheets
To change the name of the Sheet Tab, double-click it then type the desired sheet name/label. You may also apply tab color, just right-click on the Sheet Tab and select the command “Tab Color” and select the desired color from the palette.
Relative, Absolute, and Mixed Referencing
Calling cells by just their column and row labels (such as "A1") is called relative referencing. When a formula contains relative referencing and it is copied from one cell to another, Excel does not create an exact copy of the formula. It will change cell addresses relative to the row and column they are moved to. For example, if a simple addition formula in cell C1 "= (A1+B1)" is copied to cell C2, the formula would change to "= (A2+B2)" to reflect the new row. To prevent this change, cells must be called by absolute referencing and this is accomplished by placing dollar signs "$" within the cell addresses in the formula. Continuing the previous example, the formula in cell C1 would read "= ($A$1+$B$1)" if the value of cell C2 should be the sum of