Exploring Microsoft

Excel 2003

Chapter 1 – Introduction to
Excel: What is a Spreadsheet?
Robert Grauer and Maryann Barber

Committed to Shaping the Next Generation of IT Experts.

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Objectives
 Explain potential Spreadsheet Applications
 Distinguish between a Constant, a Formula, and a
Function
 Distinguish between a workbook and a worksheet
 Explain how rows and columns are labeled
 Insert / delete rows and columns
 Print a worksheet
 show displayed values
 cell contents
 Relative, Absolute, and Mixed references
 Copy and/or move cell formulas
 Format a worksheet

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Introduction to Spreadsheets

 Spreadsheet – a computerized ledger

 Divided into rows and columns
 Columns identified with alphabetic headings
 Rows identified with numeric headings
 Cell – the intersection of a row and a column
 Cell reference uniquely identifies a cell
 Consists of column letter and row number

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Rows, Columns, and Cells

Cell referenced by
column, then number

Active cell surrounded

by heavy border

Column headings above

Row headings to the left each column. Columns
of each row. Rows designated with letters
designated with numbers
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Types of Cell Entries
 Labels
 Constant – an entry that does not change
 Letters, Numbers, Titles
 Values – Contain the numeric data
 Function – a predefined computational task
 Formula – a combination of numeric
constants, cell references, arithmetic
operators, and functions
 Always begins with an equal sign

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Introduction to Microsoft Excel

 Common user interface with other Office

applications
 Menus and toolbars are similar to Word and
Power Point
 Workbook – contains one or more
worksheets
 Worksheet – an Excel spreadsheet

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Toolbars
 Appear beneath the menu bar
 Contain buttons that perform commonly-used
commands
 Standard toolbar – buttons correspond to
most basic commands in Excel
 Examples include opening, closing, and saving a
workbook
 Formatting toolbar – buttons correspond to
common formatting operations
 Examples include boldface and cell alignment
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The File Menu

 Contains most common commands related to

Excel files
 Examples:
 New command creates a new workbook
 Open command opens an existing workbook
 Save command saves a workbook
 Save As command saves a copy of an existing
workbook under a different name or file type
 Print command prints all or part of a worksheet

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An Excel Workbook
Menu bar gives lists of
commands

Formatting toolbar

Standard toolbar Title bar shows name

of workbook

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 Opening a Workbook
Use the Look In list box
to specify the folder
containing the file you
want to open

Double-click the file

you want to open

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 The Save As Command

Use the Save In list box

to specify the folder/disk
the file will be saved in

Type the new file

name

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The Active Cell, Formula Bar, and
Worksheet Tabs
Formula bar displays
contents of active cell

Active cell is
highlighted

Click tabs to move to a

different worksheet

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 Using the Help System

Click the Help menu

Type a question
and click Search

Select one of the search

results and it will appear in
the Help pane
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Modifying the Worksheet:
The Insert Command

Can be used to add

rows, columns, or cells

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 Modifying the Worksheet:
The Delete Command

If deleting a cell, specify

whether to move other cells
up or to the left
Specify whether you’re
deleting cell, row, or
column

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 Page Setup

Margins tab is used to

set top, bottom, left and
right margins

Page tab controls

print orientation and
scaling

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 Page Setup (continued)

Sheet tab is used to

control repeating rows or
columns or print gridlines

Header/Footer tab allows

user to create headers and
footers for each printed
sheet
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Display the Cell Formulas

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 The Print Preview Command

View and adjust

margins by clicking
the Margins button

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Using Cell Ranges
 Range – a rectangular group of cells
 May be a single cell or the entire worksheet
 May consist of a row (or part of a row), a column
(or part of a column) or multiple rows and/or
columns
 To select a range:
 Click left mouse button at the beginning of the
range
 Hold left mouse button as you drag the mouse
 Release left mouse button at the end of the range

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Copying and Moving Cells

 Copy command – duplicates the contents of

a cell or range of cells
 Source range – the cell(s) you are copying from
 Destination range – the cell(s) you are copying to
 You can copy to more than one destination ranges
 Move operation – transfers the contents of a
cell or range to another cell or range
 You must use both the Copy (or Cut)
command and the Paste command

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Cell Referencing
 Absolute reference: remains constant when
copied
 Specified with dollar signs before the column and
row
 Relative reference: adjusts during a copy
operation
 Specified without dollar signs, i.e. B4
 Mixed reference: either the row or the column
is absolute; the other is relative
 Specified with a dollar sign before the absolute
part of the reference, i.e. B$4

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Absolute and Relative References
Absolute references are used to refer to the weight of
each exam. These weights do not change for each
student, so absolute references are needed to keep
those references constant as the formula is copied

Relative references are used to refer to each student’s exam scores.

These scores do change for each student, so relative references are
needed to make sure each student’s average reflects his/her scores

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Compute the Student Semester
Averages

Absolute and
relative references
used in formulas

Create the formula

in cell E4 and copy
to other cells

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 Isolating the Assumptions

New student averages

are automatically
Enter new exam recalculated
weights in row 13

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Formatting Cells

 Format Cells command – controls the

formatting for numbers, alignment, fonts,
borders, and patterns (color)
 Select-then-do
 Select the cells to which the formatting will apply
 Execute the Format Cells command

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 The Format Cells Command
Number tab allows you to
specify appearance of
numbers

Alignment tab specifies

vertical and horizontal
alignment

Font tab allows you to

specify font type and size

Borders and Patterns

tabs allow you to create
special effects

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The Completed Worksheet

Shading is used to
identify labels and
assumptions, and to
show class averages.

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Summary
 Spreadsheet - the computerized equivalent of an
accountant’s ledger
 Divided into rows and columns
 Worksheet - an Excel spreadsheet
 Workbook - contains one or more worksheets
 Cells can contain label, value, formula or function
 Insert and Delete commands
 Cells
 Rows
 columns
 The Page Setup command provides complete
control over the printed page

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Summary (continued)

 Range - a cell or range of cells

 Formulas in a cell may be copied or moved to
other cells
 Absolute reference remains the same when it is
copied
 Relative reference adjusts when it is copied
 Cells can be formatted in a variety of ways
 Select cells, then apply formatting

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