A. What is Excel?
Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that can be used for storing, organizing and manipulating data. When you look at the Excel screen you see a rectangular table or grid of rows and columns. The horizontal rows are identified by numbers (1, 2, 3 ) and the vertical columns with letters of the alphabet (A, B). For columns beyond 26, columns are identified by two or more letters such as AA, AB, and AC.
B. Data Types, Formulas, and Functions
The types of data that a cell can hold include numbers, text or formulas. Just as in math class, formulas are used for calculations usually involving data contained in other cells. Excel and other electronic spreadsheets include a number of built in formulas used for common tasks known as functions.
C. Excel and Financial Data
Spreadsheets are often used to store financial data. Formulas and functions that are used on this type of data include:
- Performing basic mathematical operations such as summing columns and rows of figures.
- Finding values such as profit or loss.
- Calculating repayment plans for loans or mortgages.
D. Excel's Other Uses
Other common operations that Excel can be used for include:
- Graphing or charting data to assist users in identifying data trends.
- Sorting and filtering data to find specific information.
The information garnered in a spreadsheet can easily be incorporated into electronic presentations, web pages, or printed off in report form.
