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Excel-Intro-to-Formulas-Lecture-2

Excel intro to formulas lecture

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8 views

Excel-Intro-to-Formulas-Lecture-2

Excel intro to formulas lecture

Uploaded by

mv046133
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Excel – Intro to Formulas

Introduction
One of the most powerful features in Excel is the ability
to calculate numerical information using formulas. Just like a calculator,
Excel can add, subtract, multiply, and divide. In this lesson, we'll show you
how to use cell references to create simple formulas.

Mathematical operators
Excel uses standard operators for formulas, such as a plus sign for addition
(+), a minus sign for subtraction (-), an asterisk for multiplication (*),
a forward slash for division (/), and a caret (^) for exponents.

All formulas in Excel must begin with an equals sign (=). This is because the
cell contains, or is equal to, the formula and the value it calculates.
Understanding cell references
While you can create simple formulas in Excel using numbers (for
example, =2+2 or =5*5), most of the time you will use cell addresses to
create a formula. This is known as making a cell reference. Using cell
references will ensure that your formulas are always accurate because you
can change the value of referenced cells without having to rewrite the
formula.

In the formula below, cell A3 adds the values of cells A1 and A2 by making cell
references:

When you press Enter, the formula calculates and displays the answer in cell
A3:

If the values in the referenced cells change, the formula automatically


recalculates:
By combining a mathematical operator with cell references, you can create a
variety of simple formulas in Excel. Formulas can also include a combination
of cell references and numbers, as in the examples below:

To create a formula:
In our example below, we'll use a simple formula and cell references to
calculate a budget.

1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In


our example, we'll select cell D12.
2. Type the equals sign (=). Notice how it
appears in both the cell and the formula bar.

3. Type the cell address of the cell you want to


reference first in the formula: cell D10 in our
example. A blue border will appear around the
referenced cell.
4. Type the mathematical operator you want to
use. In our example, we'll type the addition
sign (+).
5. Type the cell address of the cell you want to
reference second in the formula: cell D11 in our
example. A red border will appear around the
referenced cell.
6. Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will
be calculated, and the value will be displayed
in the cell. If you select the cell again, notice
that the cell displays the result, while the
formula bar displays the formula.
If the result of a formula is too large to be displayed in a cell, it may appear
as pound signs (#######) instead of a value. This means the column is not
wide enough to display the cell content. Simply increase the column
width to show the cell content.

Modifying values with cell references


The true advantage of cell references is that they allow you to update data in
your worksheet without having to rewrite formulas. In the example below,
we've modified the value of cell D10 from $1,200 to $1,800. The formula in
D12 will automatically recalculate and display the new value in cell D12.

Excel will not always tell you if your formula contains an error, so it's up to
you to check all of your formulas. To learn how to do this, you can read
the Double-Check Your Formulas lesson from our Excel
Formulas tutorial.

To create a formula using the point-and-click method:


Instead of typing cell addresses manually, you can point and click the cells
you want to include in your formula. This method can save a lot of time and
effort when creating formulas. In our example below, we'll create a formula
to calculate the cost of ordering several boxes of plastic silverware.

1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In


our example, we'll select cell D4.
2. Type the equals sign (=).
3. Select the cell you want to reference first in the
formula: cell B4 in our example. The cell
address will appear in the formula.

4. Type the mathematical operator you want to


use. In our example, we'll type
the multiplication sign (*).
5. Select the cell you want to reference second in
the formula: cell C4 in our example. The cell
address will appear in the formula.
6. Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will
be calculated, and the value will be displayed
in the cell.

Copying formulas with the fill handle


Formulas can also be copied to adjacent cells with the fill handle, which can
save a lot of time and effort if you need to perform the same
calculation multiple times in a worksheet. The fill handle is the small square
at the bottom-right corner of the selected cell(s).
1. Select the cell containing the formula you want
to copy. Click and drag the fill handle over the
cells you want to fill.

2. After you release the mouse, the formula will be


copied to the selected cells.
To edit a formula:
Sometimes you may want to modify an existing formula. In the example
below, we've entered an incorrect cell address in our formula, so we'll need
to correct it.

1. Select the cell containing the formula you want


to edit. In our example, we'll select cell D12.

2. Click the formula bar to edit the formula. You


can also double-click the cell to view and edit
the formula directly within the cell.
3. A border will appear around any referenced
cells. In our example, we'll change the first part
of the formula to reference cell D10 instead of
cell D9.
4. When you're finished, press Enter on your
keyboard or select the Enter command in the
formula bar.

5. The formula will be updated, and the new


value will be displayed in the cell.
If you change your mind, you can press the Esc key on your keyboard or click
the Cancel command in the formula bar to avoid accidentally making
changes to your formula.

To show all of the formulas in a spreadsheet, you can hold the Ctrl key and
press ` (grave accent). The grave accent key is usually located in the top-left
corner of the keyboard. You can press Ctrl+` again to switch back to the
normal view.

Challenge!
1. Open our practice workbook.
2. Click the Challenge tab in the bottom-left of the
workbook.
3. Create a formula in cell D4 that multiplies the
quantity in B4 by the price per unit in cell C4.
4. Use the fill handle to copy the formula in
cell D4 to cells D5:D7.
5. Change the price per unit for the fried plantains
in cell C6 to $2.25. Notice that the line total
automatically changes as well.
6. Edit the formula for the total in cell D8 so it also
adds cell D7.
7. When you're finished, your workbook should
look like this:

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