Introduction to Spreadsheets

Bent Thomsen

What is an electronic spreadsheet?

It is the electronic equivalent of an accounting
worksheet, comprised of rows and columns to
allow you to do many tasks in the
organization of numbers in a clear, easy to
understand format

What is an electronic spreadsheet?

It is a tool to help you calculate budgets, do
economic analysis, statistics, planning,
engineering calculations,
Replaces pen, paper and pocket calculator
Can show diagrams and graphs
Can input data from other programs
Can output data to other programs
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Some Advantages of Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets are capable of exploring whatifscenarios (e.g. budgets, submitting bids)
Once it is set up properly, the user can save
time by never having to set up the spreadsheet
again
Blank spreadsheets are called templates.
Monthly salaries,grade sheets

Spreadsheet terminology
Row - horizontal axis (designated by numbers)
Column - vertical axis (designated by letters)
Cell - intersection of row and column
(designated by an address comprised of the
column letter and row number e.g. A1)
Block//Range - a rectangular group of one or
more cells (identified by block coordinates (e.g.
A1:G4)
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Spreadsheet terminology (cont.)

Label - alphanumeric
Value - a number or formula result
Formula - creates relationships among other cells
Template - a notebook that has labels, formulas,
and all of the formatting but no actual data (e.g.
actual figures and numbers)

How big is a spreadsheet?

Normally you see 9 columns and 18 rows

= 162 cells
One sheet has 256 columns and 65536 rows
= 1677216 cells
That is more than 103000 screens
Would take 34000 A4 pages to print
Take 194 days to fill at one cell pr second
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Exploring the Excel Screen

Title bar
Menu toolbar
Standard toolbar
Formatting toolbar
Screen Tip

Active worksheet in
workbook window

Task Pane:
organizes related
commands

Activating Toolbars
Click on View
and Toolbars

Toolbars
sub-menu
appears

Click on desired
toolbar
Check indicates
active item; click to
deactivate

Moving Around the Worksheet

Working in an active cell

(intersection of a row
and column)

Insertion
point: where
text will be
entered

I-beam: to
place
insertion
point

Cell pointer

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Moving Around the Worksheet

Move cell
pointer
arrow keys
scroll bars

Change pages
click on tabs
tab scroll
buttons

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Moving Around the Worksheet

Consider cell B4 active
Note
thick cross mouse pointer
row, column buttons highlighted

After scrolling to right, note

row button still highlighted
name box still shows B4 as active cell

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Moving Around the Worksheet

To select a column
Click on the column
heading button

Whole column is
highlighted

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Entering Labels
Click desired cell to make it active
Label is displayed both in cell and in formula bar as you type
Label displays out of its column
as long as other columns are empty

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Worksheet with Labels

Note
Documentation
section
Label cut off, next cell
occupied
Labels aligned left

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Editing a Cell's Information

Click on desired cell
Cell pointer moves there
Contents displayed in
formula bar

Click mouse pointer

(I-beam) to location
within text
type, delete, copy, paste
as needed
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Entering Values
When entering numbers
do not use commas
numbers are right justified by default

To proceed to next cell right use [Tab] or right

arrow key
To proceed down, use [Enter] key

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Entering Formulas
Formulas are mathematical equations
perform calculations
always start with an equal sign (=)

...

Formula shows in
formula bar
Note color references
in formula

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Entering Formulas

After formula entered and cell pointer moved

Formula does not show in formula bar

Result of calculations
shows in cell where
formula entered

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Operators

^ - exponents
+ - addition
* - multiplication
/ - division
- - subtraction
= - function
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Order Calculations are Performed

First exponents
Then any multiplication and division in the
order they occur
Then any addition and subtraction in the
order they occur

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Parentheses
Operations within parentheses are performed
before those outside.
Within the parentheses the basic rules are
followed.
Multiple sets of parentheses, the innermost are
executed first followed by the next set.

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Built-in functions
Functions are pre-written formulas
Functions must start with an equal sign
Functions takes value(s), perform an operation,
and returns a value(s)
Values you use with a function are arguments
=AVERAGE(D3:D7)
AVERAGE is the function
D3:D7 is the argument
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Using Functions
Advantages of predefined functions
save time
more accurate

Using AutoSum
Click cell at
bottom of
column
Click AutoSum
button
Excel assumes
it should total
the column
SUM function
inserted

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Using Functions
AutoSum can also be used to right of a row
of numbers

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Using Functions
Note end results of
using AutoSum
Note:
Click AutoSum
button once to
display formula,
again to apply
SUM formula
displays in
Formula bar

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Using the Function Insert Feature

Click on Insert, and Function
Insert Function dialog box appears

Select
function
category

Choose specific
function desired

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Using the Function Insert Feature

Arguments of
function must be
specified

Animated border
shows selected
range

Formula
appears in
cell

Note calculated result

of inserted function

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Using the Function Insert Feature

Note calculated
result of inserted
function

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Creating a Chart
Select series of
numbers from
worksheet
Click Chart Wizard
button
Dialog box opens

Choose chart
type, sub-type
Note preview
button
Click on Next
button to
proceed

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Creating a Chart
Step 2
Review and change
series range as
needed
Click CategoryLabels
button to specify
source of labels
for chart

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Creating a Chart

Labels now show in

legend
Range for labels
now displayed

Click on Next
button to
proceed

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Creating a Chart
Step 3
Enter titles (which
will show on preview)
Specify legend details
on legend tab
Specify Data Label
details as shown

Click on Next
button to
proceed

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Creating a Chart
Step 4
Specify where chart will appear

Click Finish

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Creating a Chart
Chart is displayed as object in worksheet
Note Chart toolbar
displayed while
chart is selected

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Statistical analysis in Excel

you can do a range of statistics in Excel using the Analysis
ToolPak
you can calculate a correlation matrix and undertaking
regression analysis
results of this analysis goes on additional sheets in the Excel
workbook. remember to save this workbook often (as a .xls
format file)
note, Excel is powerful but it is not a statistics package.
Alternatives are SPSS and Minitab which are full function
statistics packages and will do lots more. they will read
Excel spreadsheets and dbf format data files

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Opening the ToolPak, Excels

data analysis add-in
go to Tools -> Add-Ins

choose Analysis ToolPak

and click OK

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Correlation analysis
are A and B related?
correlation coefficient provides a single numerical
value describing a linear relationship, telling us the
direction and strength
Percentage Limiting Long Term Illness against Percentage No Car
50
45

Percentage Limiting Long Term Illness

40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

Percentage No Car

60

70

80

90

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 you can get Excel to add

the best fit line (Trendline)
through the scatter of points
to do this select the data points
on the chart, right-click and
choose Add Trendline
In the Add Trendline box
choose Type - Linear and
click OK

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Percentage Limiting Long Term Illness against Percentage No Car

50
45

Percentage Limiting Long Term Illness

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What do you think r will be??

35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Percentage No Car

now we want to calculate the actual Pearsons correlation

coefficient (the r value) for this relationship
it is very easy to calculate with Excel
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 go back to the Tools

menu and select Data Analysis

In the Data Analysis

window choose
Correlation
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Correlation analysis
this window allows you to
define the variables you want
to correlate
you will correlate all your
census variables to get a full
correlation matrix
the Input Range: box defines the columns in the spreadsheet
you want to run the correlation on. click in this box and then
with the mouse select all the columns of census data
check the Labels in First Row box as well. make sure the
New Worksheet Ply: option is checked and call it correlation
and then click on OK
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Steps in Developing a Spreadsheet

1.Determining the purpose - what inputs, what
outputs, what printed reports
2.Planning - plan it on paper first
3.Building and testing - make sure it manipulates
the data correctly
4.Documenting - should include something within
the worksheet itself (directions, name and date)
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