Transcript No Slide Title

Spreadsheets and Charts
A Beginner’s Guide
Presented by Tracy Volz
Manassas City Public Schools
August 1999
What is a Spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet ...
 is an electronic version of a ledger
 consists of a grid from columns and rows
 is a computation tool
 can accurately compute mathematical formulas
 helps organize, display, and manage information
 has the ability to create charts and graphs
 can be used to create a tables
A spreadsheet is ...
the electronic version of a ledger.
It is a grid made from columns and rows.
The nice thing about using a spreadsheet is that you
can experiment with numbers without having to RE-DO
all of the calculations!
Basics of a Spreadsheet
Spreadsheets are made up of
– columns
– rows
– cells
Each cell contains a type of data
– text
– number data
– formulas

COLUMNS…

COLUMNS go vertically - up and down.
They are defined by Letters which go
across the top of the grid.

ROWS…

ROWS go horizontally - left to right
Rows are defined by Numbers which
go down the left side of the grid.
CELL...
The CELL is the space where the
column and the row intersect.
B6
The CELL is named according to its
Column letter and Row number.
It is where the information is stored.

Types of Data 
Cells can contain three types of data.
LABEL - anything that is just text
ex. Title or Items or Cost
CONSTANT - any number
ex. 8 or 3.14 or -59.6
FORMULA - math equation
ex. =8*5 or =6+8/4

LABELS

LABELS help us identify what the numbers stand for…
they help us understand the spreadsheet.
LABELS are text entries - they have no numerical value.

CONSTANTS

Constants are used to enter FIXED number data.
A constant can be any kind of specific number:
currency, percent, decimal ...
# Working with Constants #
When you are working with constants or values, you
must use the appropriate symbols.
+
is the symbol for addition
-
is the symbol for subtraction
*
is the symbol for multiplication
/
is the symbol for division

FORMULAS

Formulas are equations that performs calculations.
All formulas MUST BEGIN with an equal sign (=).
A formula will be displayed on the screen as a
number, but the entry bar will show the formula.

A Few Formulas

Suppose you had a spreadsheet showing test grades…
you might use the following formulas.
To Find
Use
Total Scores
=sum( __: __ )
High Score
=max( __:__ )
Low Score
=min( __:__ )
Average Score
=average( __:__ )
Total # of Scores
=count( __:__ )
(It will not count text entries or blank entries!)

IF Function
Example of IF =IF (A3>70, “Pass”, “Fail”)
Compares
Answer
Is Cell A3 greater than 70?
If Cell A3 is greater than 70,
then it will print Pass.
If Cell A3 is less than 70,
then it will print Fail.


Charts or Graphing

You can use the Chart Wizard
to help you make a chart or graph.
There are 16 types of charts you can choose
from. The type of chart you pick usually depends
on the data you are using!
For more information on Charts go to:
http://help.unc.edu/cgi-bin/getdocs?docnumber=dwe28

Don’t Forget!!!

“Like ANY tool, a spreadsheet
should be used to aide in
producing a polished product
and NOT become the product.”
- Teacher Created Materials

Let’s Try It Out!!!!
 Let’s Go Shopping!!!
 Create a Quiz
 Questions & Answers
 Check It Out!!!
Ideas taken from http://www.usd.edu/trio/excel/1.html

3-2-1 Summary
3 Write 3 New Things You Learned Today
2 Write 2 Things You Would Like to
Know More About
1 Write 1 Instructional Thing You Will
Share with a Teacher