LECTURE # 15

Applications of Basic Mathematics

OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the lecture are to learn about:
• Different course modules
• Basic Arithmetic Operations
• Starting Microsoft (MS) Excel
• Using MS Excel to carry out arithmetic operations

BASIC ARITHMETIC OPERATIONS

Five arithmetic operations provide the foundation for all mathematical operations.
These are:
• Addition
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Division
• Exponents

Example- Addition
12 + 5 = 17

Example- Subtraction
12 - 5 = 7

Example- Multiplication
12 x 5 = 60

Example- Exponent
(4)^2 = 16
(4)^1/2 = 2
(4)^-1/2 = 1/(4)^1/2 = ½ = 0.5

MICROSOFT EXCEL IN BUSINESS MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS

Microsoft Corporation’s Spreadsheet software Excel is widely used in business

mathematics and statistical applications. The latest version of this software is
EXCEL 2002 XP. This course is based on wide applications of EXCEL 2002. It is
recommended that you install EXCEL 2002 XP software on your computer. If your
computer has Windows 2000 and EXCEL 2000 even that version of EXCEL can be
used as the applications we intend to learn can be done using the earlier version of
EXCEL. Those of you who are still working with Windows 98 and have EXCEL 97
installed are encouraged to migrate to newer version of EXCEL software.

Starting EXCEL 2000 XP

EXCEL 2000 XP can be started by going through the following steps:

Click Start on your computer
Click All Programs
Click Microsoft Excel

The following slides show the operations:

The EXCEL window opens and a blank worksheet becomes available as shown
below:
The slide shows a Workbook by the name book1 with three sheets: Sheet1, Sheet2
and Sheet3. The Excel Window has Column numbers starting from A and row
numbers starting from 1. the intersection of a row and column is called a Cell. The
first cell is A1 which is the intersection of column A and row 1. All cells in a Sheet
are referenced by a combination of Column name and row number.

Example 1: B15 means cell in column B and row 15.

Example 2: A cell in row 12 and column C has reference C12.

A Range defines all cells starting from the leftmost corner where the range starts to
the rightmost corner in the last row. The Range is specified by the starting cell, a
colon and the ending cell.

Example 3: A Range which starts from A1 and ends at D15 is

referenced by A1:D15 and has all the cells in columns A to D up to and including
row 15.

A value can be entered into a cell by clicking that cell. The mouse pointer which is a
rectangle moves to the selected cell. Simply enter the value followed by the Enter
key. The mouse pointer moves to the cell below.
If you make a mistake while entering the value select the cell again (by clicking it).
Enter the new value. The old value is replaced by the new value.

If only one or more digits are to be changed then select the cell. Then double click
the mouse. The blinking cursor appears. Either move the arrow key to move to the
digit to be changed or move the cursor to the desired position. Enter the new value
and delete the undesired value by using the Del key.

I suggest that you learn the basic operations of entering, deleting and changing data
in a worksheet.

About calculation operators in Excel

In Excel there are four different types of operators:
Arithmetic operators
Comparison operators
Text concatenation operator
Reference operators

The following descriptions are reproduced from Excel’s Help file for your ready
reference. In the present lecture you are directly concerned with arithmetic operators.
However, it is important to learn that the comparison operators are used where
calculations are made on the basis of comparisons. The text concatenation operator is
used to combine two text strings. The reference operators include “:” and “,” or ; as
the case maybe. We shall learn the use of these operators in different worksheets.
You should look through the Excel Help file to see examples of these functions.
Selected material from Excel Help File relating to arithmetic operations is given in in
a separate file.
The Excel arithmetic operators are as follows:
Addition. Symbol: + (Example: =5+4 Result: 9)
Subtraction. Symbol: - (Example: =5-4 Result: 1)
Multiplication. Symbol: * (Example: =5*4 Result: 20)
Division. Symbol: / (Example: =12/4 Result: 3)
Percent. Symbol: % (Example: =20% Result: 0.2)
Exponentiation: ^ (Example: =5^2 Result: 25)

Excel Formulas for Addition

All calculations in Excel are made through formulas which are written in cells where
result is required.
Let us do addition of two numbers 5 and 10.
We wish to calculate the addition of two numbers 10 and 5. Let us see how we can
add these two numbers in Excel.
1. Open a blank worksheet.
2. Click on a cell where you would like to enter the number 10. Say cell A15.
3. Enter 10 in cell A15.
4. Click cell where you would like to enter the number 5. Say cell B15.
5. Click cell where you would like to get the sum of 10 and 5. Say cell C15.
6. Start the formula. Write equal sign = in cell C15.
7. After =, write “(“ (left bracket) in cell C15.
8. Move mouse and left click on value 10 which is in cell A15. In cell C15, the
cell reference A15 is written.
9. Write “+” after “A15” in cell C15.
10. Move mouse and left click on value 5 which is in cell B15. In cell C15, the
cell reference B15 is written.
11. Write “) “ (right bracket) in cell C15.
12. Press Enter key
The answer 15 is shown in cell C15.
If you click on cell C15, the formula “=A15+B15” is displayed the formula bar to the
right of fx in the Toolbar.

The main steps along with the entries are shown in the slide below. The worksheet
MTH302-lec-02 contains the actual entries.

The next slide shows addition of 6 numbers 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40. The entries
were made in row 34. The values were entered as follows:
Cell A34: 5
Cell B34: 10
Cell C34: 15
Cell D34: 20
Cell E34: 30
Cell F34: 40
The formula was written in cell G34. The formula was:
=5+10+15+20+30+40
The answer was 120.
You can use an Excel function SUM along with the cell range A34:F34 to calculate
the sum of the above numbers. The formula in such a case will be:
=SUM(A34:F34)
You enter “=” followed by SUM, followed by “(“. Click on the cell with value
5(reference: A34). Drag the mouse to cell with value 40(reference: F34) and drop the
mouse. Enter “)” and then press the Enter key.

In the above two examples you learnt how formulas for addition are written in Excel.

Excel Formula for Subtraction

Excel formulas for subtraction are similar to those of addition but with the minus
sign.
Let us go through the steps for subtracting 15 from 25. Enter values in row 50 as
follows:

Cell A50: 25
Cell B50: 15

Write the formula in cell C50 as follows:

=A50-B50

To write this formula, click cell C50, where you want the result. Enter “=”. Click on
cell with value 25 (reference:A50). Enter “-“(minus sign). Click on cell with value
15 (reference B50). Press enter key.

If you enter 15 first and 25 later, then the question will be to find result of subtraction
15-25.
Excel Formula for Multiplication
Excel formula for multiplication is also similar to the formula for addition.
Only the sign of multiplication will be used. The Excel multiplication operator is *.

Let us look at the multiplication of two numbers 25 and 15. The entries will be made
in row 60. Enter values as under:
Cell A50: 25
Cell B50: 15
The formula for multiplication is:
=A50*B50

Click on cell C50 to write the formula in that cell. Enter “=”. Click on cell
with number 25 (reference: A50). Enter “*”. Click on cell with number 15
(reference: B50). Press Enter key. The answer is 375 in cell C50.

Excel Formula for Division

The formula for division is similar to that of multiplication with the
difference that the division sign “/” will be used.

Let us divide 240 by 15using Excel formula for division. Let us enter
numbers in row 75 as follows:
Cell A75: 240
Cell B75: 15

The formula for division will be written in cell C75 as under:

=A75/B75

The steps are as follows: Click the cell A75. Enter 240 in cell A75. Click cell
B75. Enter 15. Click cell C75. Enter “=”. Click on cell with value 240 (reference:
A75). Enter “/”. Click cell with number 15 (reference: B75). Press enter key. The
answer 16 will be displayed in cell C75.

Excel Formula for Percent

The formula for converting percent to fraction uses the symbol %. To convert 20% to
fraction the formula is as under:
=20%
If you enter 20 in cell A99, you can write formula for conversion to fraction by doing
the following:
Enter 2o in cell A99. In cell B99 enter “=”. Click on cell A99. Enter”%”. Press Enter
key. The answer 0.2 is given in cell B99.

Excel Formula for Exponentiation

The symbol for exponentiation is ^. The formula for calculating exponents is similar
to multiplication with the difference that the carat symbol ^ will be used.
Let us calculate 16 raised to the power 2 by Excel formula for exponentiation. The
values will be entered in row 85.
The steps are:
Select Cell A85. Enter 16 in this cell.
Select cell B85 Enter 2 in this cell.
Select cell C85.
Enter”=”.
Select cell with value 16 (reference:A85).
Enter “^”.
Select number 2 (reference: B85)
Press Enter key.

The result 256 is displayed in cell C85.

Recommended Homework
Download worksheet MTH302-lec-02.xls from the course web site.
Change values to see change in results.
Set up new worksheets for each Excel operator with different values.
Set up worksheets with combinations of operations.