Spreadsheets
A spreadsheet
is a high level calculating grid.
The grid is made of cells and each cell can hold words, numbers
or a formula.
Make sure whether you're entering a
fixed number or
a formula which gives you a number.
Here's a
very simple example to calculate how much you need for lunch.
![](lunch1.gif)
This is just
a picture on a Web page but in a spreadsheet the number in the "total"
cell will change whenever you change the number in the "cost"
cell.
This is because the "total" cell is calculated by a formula.
The formula is shown on the top line (=B2*B3) where = means it is a formula
and the star * means mutiply. Here the contents of cell B2 is multiplied
by the contents of cell B3 to produce the answer 7.5 in cell B4.
To do:
- Open your
spreadsheet
- Type in
the title in cell A1
- Use the
format menu to change the type size, make it bold or change the colour
- Type "Daily
Cost" in cell A2, "No of Days" in cell A3 and "Total
Cost" in cell A4
- Type 1.25
in B2. Use the Format / Numbers menu to change the raw number to "Currency".
This will change 1.25 into £1.25.
- Type "5"
in cell B3
- Now select
the blank cell B4. In the bar at the top of the screen enter the formula
"=B3 * B2"
- The cell
B4 should now have calculated that B3 multiplied by B2 is 6.25. Use
the Format / Numbers menu to change the raw number to "Currency".
To do:
To show how the total cost can re-calculate automatically imagine
that the cost of lunch has gone up.
- Change
£1.25 to £1.30 (Select and overtype). The total cost should
change automatically to £6.50
- Now you
hear there's a teacher training day so you only need 4 lunches this
week. Change cell B3 to "4".
- What is
the total cost now?
To do:
Now let's extend the sheet.
- Type "No
of weeks" in cell A5 and enter "38" in cell B5 as the
number of weeks in a school year.
- Type "Total
cost per year" in cell A6 and enter the following formula in cell
B6 - =B5*B4 followed by the return key.
This will calculate the "number of weeks" multiplied by the
"Total cost per week."
- What is
the total cost per year now?
![](lunch2.gif)
Spreadsheets
can do very complex calculations and can cope with near instant changes.
They are very effective for "What if ..." situations.
Move on to
Lesson 2 |