Module 3: The Spreadsheet Program

This module demonstrates the use of worksheets to show statistical/mathematical

data and translate statistical data into meaningful charts. We’ll introduce and discuss the
interface of the spreadsheet software, cell addressing, data types, table formats, sorting
and filtering tables, creating mathematical expressions and the use of functions.

Getting Started
When you open MS Excel for the first time, a blank spreadsheet will appear (shown
below). In more recent versions however, the Excel Start Screen will appear instead,
allowing you to create a new workbook, choose a template, and access your recently
edited workbooks.

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 MS Excel’s interface is divided into two sections, the Application Window, and the
Workbook Window.

Application Window
The Application Window provides the space for your worksheets and workbook
elements such as charts. The components of the Application Window are described
below.

● The Quick Access Toolbar: The Quick Access Toolbar lets you access common
commands no matter which tab is selected. By default, it includes the Save, Undo,
and Repeat commands.
● The Ribbon: MS Excel uses a tabbed Ribbon system instead of traditional menus.
The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. You
will use these tabs to perform the most common tasks in Excel.
● The Formula Bar: In the formula bar, you can enter or edit data, a formula, or a
function that will appear in a specific cell. In the image below, cell C1 is selected
and 1984 is entered into the formula bar. Note how the data appears in both the
formula bar and in cell C1.

● The Name Box: The Name box displays the location, or "name" of a selected cell.
In the image below, cell B4 is selected. Note that cell B4 is where column B and
row 4 intersect.

The Workbook Window

Excel files are called workbooks. Each workbook holds one or more worksheets
(also known as "spreadsheets"). Fun fact: There can be a max of 1,048,576 rows and
16,384 columns in an excel worksheet.

The Worksheet
Depending on the version of your MS Excel, whenever you create a new Excel
workbook, it will contain one or three worksheet(s) named Sheet1 (Sheet2 and Sheet3 if
you have three). A worksheet is a grid of columns and rows where columns are

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 designated by letters running across the top of the worksheet and rows are designated
by numbers running down the left side of the worksheet.

When working with a large amount of data, you can create multiple worksheets
to help organize your workbook and make it easier to find content. You can also group
worksheets to quickly add information to multiple worksheets at the same time.

● Renaming a worksheet:
1. Right-click the worksheet you wish to rename, then select Rename from the
worksheet menu.
2. Type the desired name for the worksheet.
3. Click anywhere outside of the worksheet, or press Enter on your keyboard. The
worksheet will be renamed.
● To insert a new worksheet:

1. Locate and select the New sheet button. or

2. A new, blank worksheet will appear.

● To delete a worksheet (Warning: The Undo button will not undo the deletion of a
worksheet):
1. Right-click the worksheet you wish to delete, then select Delete from the
worksheet menu.
2. The worksheet will be deleted from your workbook.
● To copy a worksheet
1. Right-click the worksheet you want to copy, then select Move or Copy from the
worksheet menu.

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 2. The Move or Copy dialog box will appear. Choose where the sheet will appear
in the Before sheet: field. In our example, we'll choose (move to end) to place
the worksheet to the right of the existing worksheet
3. Check the box next to Create a copy, then click OK.
4. The worksheet will be copied. It will have the same title as the original worksheet,
as well as a version number.
● To move a worksheet
1. Select the worksheet you wish to move. The cursor will become a small

worksheet icon .
2. Hold and drag the mouse until a small black arrow appears above the desired
location.
3. Release the mouse. The worksheet will be moved.

The Scrolling Buttons

These buttons scroll the display of sheet tabs one at a time or to display the first
and last grouping of sheet tabs and are located to the left of the sheet tabs.

The Scroll Bars

Your spreadsheet may frequently have more data than you can see on the screen
at once. Click, hold and drag the vertical or horizontal scroll bar depending on what part
of the page you want to see.

Cell Addressing
Whenever you work with Excel, you'll enter information, or content, into cells. Cells
are the basic building blocks of a worksheet. You'll need to learn the basics of cells and
cell content to calculate, analyze, and organize data in Excel.

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 Cell Basics
Every worksheet is made up of thousands of rectangles, which are called cells. A
cell is the intersection of a row and a column. Columns are identified by letters (A, B, C),
while rows are identified by numbers (1, 2, 3).

Each cell has its own name, or cell address, based on its column and row. In this
example, the selected cell intersects column C and row 5, so the cell address is C5. The
cell address will also appear in the Name box. Note that a cell's column and row
headings are highlighted when the cell is selected.

You can also select multiple cells at the same time. A group of cells is known as a
cell range. Rather than a single cell address, you will refer to a cell range using the cell
addresses of the first and last cells in the cell range, separated by a colon. In the images
below, two different cell ranges are selected:

● Cell range A1:A8

● Cell range A1:B8

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 Selecting a Cell Range
1. Click, hold, and drag the mouse until all of the adjoining cells you wish to select
are highlighted.
2. Release the mouse to select the desired cell range. The cells will remain selected
until you click another cell in the worksheet.

Cell Content
Any information you enter into a spreadsheet will be stored in a cell. Each cell can
contain several different kinds of content, including text, formatting, formulas, and
functions.

● Text: Cells can contain text, such as letters, numbers, and dates.
● Formatting Attributes: Cells can contain formatting attributes that change the way
letters, numbers, and dates are displayed. For example, percentages can appear
as 0.15 or 15%. You can even change a cell's background color.
● Formulas and Functions: Cells can contain formulas and functions that calculate
cell values (More on these later).

Inserting Content in a Cell

1. Click a cell to select it.
2. Type content into the selected cell, then press Enter on your keyboard.
3. The content will appear in the cell and the formula bar. You can also input and
edit cell content in the formula bar.

Deleting Cell Content

1. Select the cell with content you wish to delete.
2. Press the Delete or Backspace key on your keyboard. The cell's contents will be
deleted.

Deleting Cells
Take note that if you delete the entire cell, the cells below it will shift up and
replace the deleted cells.

1. Select the cell(s) you wish to delete.

2. Select the Delete command from the Home tab on the Ribbon.
3. The cells below will shift up.

Copying and Pasting Cell Content

1. Select the cell(s) you wish to copy.
2. Click the Copy command on the Home tab, or press Ctrl + C on your keyboard.
3. Select the cell(s) where you wish to paste the content. The copied cells will now
have a dashed box around them.
4. Click the Paste command on the Home tab, or press Ctrl + V on your keyboard.
5. The content will be pasted into the selected cells.

Using the Fill Handle

There may be times when you need to copy the content of one cell to several
other cells in your worksheet. You could copy and paste the content into each cell, but

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 this method would be very time consuming. Instead, you can use the fill handle to quickly
copy and paste content to adjacent cells in the same row or column.

1. Select the cell(s) containing the content you wish to use. The fill handle will appear
as a small square in the bottom-right corner of the selected cell(s).

2. Click, hold, and drag the fill handle until all of the cells you wish to fill are selected.
3. Release the mouse to fill the selected cells.

Continuing a Series Using the Fill Handle

The fill handle can also be used to continue a series. Whenever the content of a
row or column follows a sequential order, like numbers (1, 2, 3) or days (Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday), the fill handle can guess what should come next in the series. In many
cases, you may need to select multiple cells before using the fill handle to help Excel
determine the series order.

Formulas and Functions

One of the most powerful features in Excel is the ability to calculate numerical
information using formulas. All formulas in Excel must begin with an equal sign (=). This is
because the cell contains, or is equal to, the formula and the value it calculates.

Arithmetic Operations
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.

Order of Operation
Excel calculates formulas based on the following order of operations:
1. Operations enclosed in parentheses.
2. Exponential calculations (3^2, for example).
3. Multiplication and division, whichever comes first.
4. Addition and subtraction, whichever comes first.

Cell References
While you can create simple formulas in Excel manually (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.

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 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:

=A1+A2 Adds cells A1 and A2

=C4-3 Subtracts 3 from cell A4
=E7/J4 Divides cell E7 by cell J4
=N10*1.05 Multiplies cell N10 by 1.05
=R5^2 Finds the square of cell R5
Relative and Absolute Cell References
● Relative cell references: By default, all cell references are relative references.
When copied across multiple cells, they change based on the relative position of
rows and columns. For example, if you copy the formula =A1+B1 from row 1 to row
2, the formula will become =A2+B2. Relative references are especially convenient
whenever you need to repeat the same calculation across multiple rows or
columns.
● Absolute cell references: There may be times when you do not want a cell
reference to change when filling cells. Unlike relative references, absolute
references do not change when copied or filled. You can use an absolute
reference to keep a row and/or column constant.
An absolute reference is designated in a formula by the addition of a dollar sign
($). It can precede the column reference, the row reference, or both.

$A$2 The column and the row do not change when copied
A$2 The row does not change when copied
$A2 The column does not change when copied
Note: When writing a formula, you can press the F4 key on your keyboard to switch
between relative and absolute cell references. This is an easy way to quickly insert an
absolute reference.

For more information on Cell References, watch Module 3 Excel_ Relative and Absolute
Cell References

Functions
A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values
in a particular order. Excel includes many common functions that can be useful for
quickly finding the sum, average, count, maximum value, and minimum value for a range
of cells. In order to use functions correctly, you'll need to understand the different parts
of a function and how to create arguments to calculate values and cell references.

The workbook “MS Excel Demo.xlsx” contains a demonstration of the most

commonly used functions in Excel. Please take time to check it out while reading this.

Parts of a Function
In order to work correctly, a function must be written a specific way, which is called
the syntax. The basic syntax for a function is an equal sign (=), the function name (SUM,

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 for example), and one or more arguments. Arguments contain the information you want
to calculate.

Arguments
Arguments can refer to both individual cells and cell ranges and must be enclosed
within parentheses. You can include one argument or multiple arguments, depending
on the syntax required for the function. For example, the function =AVERAGE(B1:B9)
would calculate the average of the values in the cell range B1:B9. This function contains
only one argument – that is, the cell range B1:B9.

Multiple arguments must be separated by a comma. For example, the function

=SUM(A1:A3, C1:C2, E2) will add the values of all the cells in the three arguments.

The Function Library

While there are hundreds of functions in Excel, the ones you use most frequently will
depend on the type of data your workbooks contain. There is no need to learn every
single function, but exploring some of the different types of functions will be helpful as
you create new projects. You can search for functions by category, such as Financial,
Logical, Text, Date & Time, and more from the Function Library on the Formulas tab. To
access the Function Library:

1. Select the Formulas tab on the Ribbon.

2. The Function Library will appear.

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 EXPLORE
In this Excel worksheet we will be looking at what’s so different about weighted averages
as compared to non-weighted averages. For this activity we will look at a typical
student’s grade records for an entire year in one particular class. First, before we begin,
what is a weighted average? A teacher may hand out a syllabus with a grading policy
that looks like this:

Computer Fundamentals Grading Policy:

3 Tests 30% Each Test 10%

5 Quizzes 30% Each Quiz 6%

7 Homework Assignments 28% Each Homework 4%

Participation 12% Participation 12%

TOTAL: 100%

This is a weighted average. One test is worth 10% of your grade while one quiz is
worth almost half of that.

Let’s look at what a grading policy might look like if nothing was weighted.

Computer Fundamentals Grading Policy:

3 Tests 18.75% Each Test 6.25%

5 Quizzes 31.25% Each Quiz 6.25%

7 Homework Assignments 43.75% Each Homework 6.25%

Participation 6.25% Participation 6.25%

TOTAL: 100%

Each test, quiz, and homework assignment are all worth 6.25%. No one thing is
weighted as being more important than the rest.

1.Open Microsoft Excel.

2. Click on cell A1 then type “Test Scores (%) ” then on cell B1 “Weight %” and cell C1 “
“Weighted Scores (Test)”. Your initial worksheet should look like this;

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 3. Input the Test Scores as follows; 95, 85, 89 to cell A2,A3 and A4. Followed by the
individual weight % in column B. Note that each test is 10% of the grade.

4. Enter the rest of the input as shown below:

The spreadsheet is split apart into two main sections. The first section which takes up
columns A, B, and C are the weighted averages. The second section, columns E and F,
are the non-weighted averages.

Column A shows all the student’s percentage scores he/she received on tests, quizzes,
homework assignments, and participation. Column B shows the percent that each test
or assignment was weighted. Column C will show the scores after they have been
weighted by the proper percentage.

Column F shows the percentage scores of the student’s grades without being weighted.
Column F is exactly the same as column A.

5. Make sure that the total weight % is equal to 100%. By using the SUM function, you can
easily compute for the total weight %. Because we are working with percentages, we

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 need to multiply the entire formula by 100. Note that you can also calculate it by using
the addition operator (=B1+B2+ … +B23) then multiply it with 100.

We used the SUM function, the syntax for this function is;

= SUM(number 1,[number2],{number3],...)

Note that the values can be numbers, cell references, cell range in any combination. In
our example above, we used a cell range (group of cells).

6. Move over to Column F. We need to get the average of the student’s scores in this
column. Click on cell F27.

The average function returns the average (arithmetic mean) of the arguments. For
example, if the range A1:A20 contains numbers, the formula =AVERAGE(A1:A20) returns
the average of those numbers.

SYNTAX:

AVERAGE(number1, [number2], ...)

The AVERAGE function syntax has the following arguments:

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 ● Number1 Required. The first number, cell reference, or range for which you want
the average.
● Number2, ... Optional. Additional numbers, cell references or ranges for which
you want the average, up to a maximum of 255.

7. On cell F27 enter the formula; =AVERAGE open parenthesis then click and drag from
cells F2 to F4 then enter a comma then click and drag from cells F7 to F11 then enter a
comma then click and drag from cells F14 to F20 then enter another comma. Click cell
F23 and end with parenthesis. It should look like this:

Hit enter. Cell F23 should now read an average score of about 91.31

8. Move over to Row C. We need to figure out what the weighted score is of each test
or assignment. Let’s compute for the product of Test Score % and Weight %. Click on
cell C2 then enter the formula, = (A2* B2). Note that in excel the asterisk(*) is the
operator used for multiplication.

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 9. With your mouse, move over the bottom right hand corner of cell C2 until a small black
plus sign appears. Click and drag down to cell C4. This will move the formula you typed
in for cell C2 down into the next two cells with the corresponding rows.

10. In cell C7, enter in the formula, =(A7*B7), then hit enter. Drag that formula down to
cell C11. In cell C14, enter in the formula, =(A14*B14), then hit enter. Drag that formula
down to cell C20. In cell C23, enter in the formula, =(A23*B23), then hit enter.

11. Click on cell C27 and enter in the formula, =SUM( then Click and drag from cells C2
to C4 then enter a comma. Then drag from cells C7 to C11 and enter a comma. Then
drag from cells C14 to C20 and enter a comma. Then click on cell C23 and end with
parenthesis. Hit enter.

The cell should now read a Weighted Grade of about 91.26.

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 Commonly Used Functions (MS Excel Demo.xlsx)

= COUNT(value1,value2,…) counts the number of cells that contain numbers and

number within the list of arguments
value1, value2, ... are 1 to 255 arguments that can contain or refer to a variety
of different types of data, but only numbers are counted.
Remarks
- Arguments that are numbers, dates, or text representation of numbers are
counted.
- Logical values and text representations of numbers that you type directly into
the list of arguments are counted.
- Arguments that are error values or text that cannot be translated into numbers
are ignored.
- If an argument is an array or reference, only numbers in that array or reference
are counted. Empty cells, logical values, text, or error values in the array or
reference are ignored.
= MIN(number1,number2,...) returns the smallest number in a set of values
= MAX(number1,number2,...) returns the largest number in a set of values
= SUM(number1,number2,…) adds the total number in a range
= AVERAGE(number1,number2,…) return the arithmetic sum of the arguments
= ROUND(number,num_digits) rounds a number to a specified number of digits
number is the number you want to round.
num_digits specifies the number of digits to which you want to round number.
Remarks
- If num_digits is greater than 0 (zero), then number is rounded to the specified
number of decimal places.
- If num_digits is 0, then number is rounded to the nearest integer.
- If num_digits is less than 0, then number is rounded to the left of the decimal
point.
= COUNTIF(range,criteria) - Counts the number of cells within a range that meet the
given criteria
range is one or more cells to count, including numbers or names, arrays, or
references that contain numbers. Blank and text values are ignored.
criteria is the criteria in the form of a number, expression, cell reference, or text
that defines which cells will be counted. For example, criteria can be expressed as 32,
"32", ">32", "apples", or B4.
=SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range]) - sum the values in a range that meet criteria that
you specify.
range Required. The range of cells that you want evaluated by criteria. Cells in
each range must be numbers or names, arrays, or references that contain numbers.
Blank and text values are ignored.
criteria Required. The criteria in the form of a number, expression, a cell
reference, text, or a function that defines which cells will be added.
sum_range Optional. The actual cells to add, if you want to add cells other than
those specified in the range argument. If the sum_range argument is omitted, Excel
adds the cells that are specified in the range argument.

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 = IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false) returns one value if the condition you
specify evaluates to true and another value if it evaluates to false
logical_test is any value or expression that can be evaluated to TRUE or
FALSE.
For example, A10=100 is a logical expression; if the value in cell A10 is equal to
100, the expression evaluates to TRUE. Otherwise, the expression evaluates to FALSE.
This argument can use any comparison calculation operator.
value_if_true is the value that is returned if logical_test is TRUE.
value_if_false is the value that is returned if logical_test is FALSE.

Text Functions

=LEFT(text, num_char)
You can use the Left function when you want to extract the leftmost characters from a
string. Similarly, you can also use the RIGHT function to extract the rightmost characters
from a string.
=PROPER (text)
Proper function in Excel capitalizes each word in the string that is, it converts the case
into proper case.
=TRIM(text)
Trim function in Excel removes the unnecessary spaces from a particular string.
=UPPER(Text )
Upper function in Excel converts the text into Upper case from lower case.
=CONCATENATE (text1, text2….)
Concatenate function in Excel helps to join the text of two or more cells.

Sorting Data
As you add more content to a worksheet, organizing that information becomes
especially important. You can quickly reorganize a worksheet by sorting your data. For
example, you could organize a list of contact information by last name. Content can be
sorted alphabetically, numerically, and in many other ways.

When sorting data, it's important to first decide if you would like the sort to apply
to the entire worksheet or just a cell range.

● Sort sheet organizes all of the data in your worksheet by one column.
● Sort range sorts the data in a range of cells, which can be helpful when working
with a sheet that contains several tables. Sorting a range will not affect other
content on the worksheet.

To sort a sheet:

1. Select a cell in the column you wish to sort by.

2. Select the Data tab on the Ribbon, then click the Ascending command to Sort

A to Z, or the Descending command to Sort Z to A.

3. The worksheet will be sorted by the selected column.

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 Filtering Data
If your worksheet contains a lot of content, it can be difficult to find information
quickly. Filters can be used to narrow down the data in your worksheet, allowing you to
view only the information you need. To filter data

1. In order for filtering to work correctly, your worksheet should include a header row,
which is used to identify the name of each column.
2. Select the Data tab, then click the Filter command.
3. A drop-down arrow will appear in the header cell for each column.
4. Click the drop-down arrow for the column you wish to filter.
5. The Filter menu will appear.
6. Uncheck the box next to Select All to quickly deselect all data.
7. Check the boxes next to the data you wish to filter, then click OK.
8. To remove all filters from your worksheet, click the Filter command on the Data
tab.

Charts and Graphs

MS Excel has several different types of charts, allowing you to choose the one that
best fits your data. In order to use charts effectively, you'll need to understand how
different charts are used.

● Column charts use vertical bars to represent data. They can work with many
different types of data, but they're most frequently used for comparing
information.
● Line charts are ideal for showing trends. The data points are connected with lines,
making it easy to see whether values are increasing or decreasing over time.
● Pie charts make it easy to compare proportions. Each value is shown as a slice of
the pie, so it's easy to see which values make up the percentage of a whole.
● Bar charts work just like Column charts, but they use horizontal bars instead of
vertical bars.
● Area charts are similar to line charts, except that the areas under the lines are filled
in.
● Surface charts allow you to display data across a 3D landscape. They work best
with large data sets, allowing you to see a variety of information at the same time.

To insert a chart:

1. Select the cells you want to chart, including the column titles and row labels. These
cells will be the source data for the chart.
2. From the Insert tab, click the desired Chart command.
3. Choose the desired chart type from the drop-down menu.
4. The selected chart will be inserted in the worksheet.

Chart Layout and Style

After inserting a chart, there are several things you may want to change about
the way your data is displayed.

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 ● Excel allows you to add chart elements—such as chart titles, legends, and data
labels—to make your chart easier to read. To add a chart element, click the Add
Chart Element command on the Design tab, then choose the desired element
from the drop-down menu.
● To edit a chart element, like a chart title, simply double-click the placeholder and
begin typing.
● Excel also includes several different chart styles, which allow you to quickly modify
the look and feel of your chart. To change the chart style, select the desired style
from the Chart styles group.
● Sometimes you may want to change the way charts group your data. From the
Design tab, select the Switch Row/Column command.
● If you find that your data isn't well suited to a certain chart, it's easy to switch to a
new chart type. From the Design tab, click the Change Chart Type command.
The Change Chart Type dialog box will appear, then select the desired chart
● Whenever you insert a new chart, it will appear as an object on the same
worksheet that contains its source data. Alternatively, you can move the chart to
a new worksheet to help keep your data organized.
1. Select the chart you wish to move.
2. Click the Design tab, then select the Move Chart command.
3. The Move Chart dialog box will appear. Select the desired location for the
chart.
4. Click OK.

GRADED Activity #2 (M3.1): Payroll Activity using MS Excel

INSTRUCTION: Open the Excel Payroll.xlsx file and perform the given instructions.

References:

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SUM Function https://support.office.com/client/en-us/videoplayer/embed/RE25Ncp?pid=ocpVideo0-

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SUMIF Function https://support.office.com/client/en-us/videoplayer/embed/RWe8KX?pid=ocpVideo0-
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52

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