Spreadsheets are fun to use….. really! There is something very satisfying about creating a functioning and dynamic spreadsheet, watching those numbers magically change. Here are some basic spreadsheet terms that you need to understand.

 

 

 

• Row- A row is a horizontal line of cells, rows are identified by numbers.
• Column- A column is a vertical line of cells, columns are identified by letters.
• Cell- A cell is where a row and a column intersect, cells are identified by a “cell address”.
• Cell Address- A cell address identifies the location of a cell on a spreadsheet, it consists of the column letter/s and row number. For example the very first cell on a spreadsheet (top left hand corner) has the cell address “A1″.
• Cell Range- A cell range defines a group of adjacent cells, a cell range can be part of a row, or column or a block of rows and columns. Cell ranges consist of cell addresses seperated by a colon “:”, for example the cell range “A1:A10″ defines the first 10 cells in the A column.
• Formula- A formula instructs the spreadsheet to perform a calculation to specified cells. Formulas always begin with the equals sign “=” and use mathematical operators. For example if I wanted to add the value in cell A1 with the value in cell B1 and show the result in C1 then I would use this formula in C1; =A1+B1
• Functions- Functions are words or abbreviated words that instruct the spreadsheet to perform a calculation. There are dozens of functions that perform a variety of tasks. Functions are often used when formulas become too long to be practical, for example if I wanted to add the values in the cell range A1:A10 then the formula would look like this; =A1+A2+A3+A4+A5+A6+A7+A8+A9+A10, or I could use the SUM function like this =SUM(A1:A10).
• Operators- Operators are the mathematical symbols used in formulas and sometimes in conjunction with functions. These include =equals, +addition, -subtraction, /division, and ^to the power of to name a few.

The best way to learn the power of spreadsheets is to experiment, try new things and be imagnative with the design. Most importantly when in doubt use HELP!