EGN 100 Excel Spreadsheet Tutorial 1
Part I: Spreadsheet Principles and Techniques
Uses of Spreadsheets
Complex, repetitive calculations
Solve formulas
Answer “What if?” questions
Examples 2+2; x=v*t
Cells
Identified by a letter and a number
1. In A1: =2 +7
Note formula bar
In A2: =11
In A3: =a1+a2
In A4 =sum(a1:a3)
Change the 11 in A2 to 7 and see how the spreadsheet changes – a great advantage of
spreadsheets!
Note that the cells show the results of the formulas not the formulas themselves. We can
see the formulas in the formula bar by selecting the cell.
2. In A6, average what is in A1, A2 and A3. Find the function for average by clicking
on fx. Average(a1:a3). Limit the number of decimal figures to 1. Select the cell then
Format-Cells-Number-Decimal Places 1-OK.
3. Practice: Enter the following six numbers in D1 to D6: 226, 324, 285, 356, 272, 301
Sum them in D7
Average them in D8. Limit the number of decimal figures to 2.
Consult with your neighbors to be sure you have done it correctly.
4. Create a running sum in column E: =e1+d2 but need to make room so e1 is zero.
Insert a row before row 1, put a zero in e1 and =e1+d2 in e2. Copy e2 down to end of
list. Check the final sum and note that a running sum has been created. Note that the
final sum is the same as the sum of all the numbers.
5. Create a row for column labels. D Data, E Run Sum. Center the column titles.
Select and Format-Cells-Alignment-Horizontal-Center- OK
6. Multiply each data point in D3 to D8 by a constant in G2 and place the products
in the corresponding cells in column G. Change the constant. What happens to the
products? =$g$2*d3
Consult with your neighbors to be sure you have done it correctly.
Example
For y = 2.3x-2, what is y for x= 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4?
Type x in cell a2.
Type y in cell b2.
Type 0 in a3, 1 in a4, 2 in a5, 3 in a6, and 4 in a7.
In b3, type =2.3*a3-2
Select b3. Left click and drag the small black square down to b7. Examine the code in the
cells b3 through b7.
Here is what should appear as the result of doing the above exercise.
A
B
x
y
0
1
2
3
4
-2
0.3
2.6
4.9
7.2
Delete the numbers in cells a4 through a7. In a4, type =a3+1. Then drag the black
square down through a7. Examine the code in cells a3 through a7.
Exercises
1. For m=3, b=4, what is y=mx+b for x = 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8?
2. For m=3, b=4, what is y=mx2+b for x = 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8?
3. Put the values of the constant m=3 in cell a1 and b=4 in cell b1. Reference those
constants in code that calculates y = mx+b for x = 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8.