Study Guide: Spreadsheets

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The Fundamental Elements of Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets have three fundamental elements that determine the organization and structure of the spreadsheet. An understanding of these elements is required if you are to master the spreadsheet. These three major elements are the column, row, and cell.

The column is a vertical area on the spreadsheet that runs from the very top to the bottom of the worksheet. Columns are identified by being named alphabetically. The first column is A, the seventh column is G, and the twenty-sixth column is Z. After column Z the next columns are AA, AB AC and so on. Most spreadsheets have 256 or more columns.

The second element is the row. The row is a horizontal area on the spreadsheet that runs from the left to the right and crosses every column. Rows are identified by being named numerically. The first row is 1, the tenth is 10 and so on. Some spreadsheets have over 65,000 rows.

Without a doubt the most important element is the cell because every action occurs in the cell. Cells are formed by the intersection of the column and the row and are identified by the name of the column and row that intersect. The cell formed by the intersection of column D and row 12 would be identified as D12, for example. The real power of the spreadsheet comes from its size. With 256 columns and 65,000 rows in your spreadsheet, then there are more than 16 million cells available and remember all work is accomplished in the cell. Spreadsheets are very powerful programs.

The cell can only contain one of three items:

Text or labels text that identifies or describes items on the worksheet. The text can be formatted using any of the standard font formatting techniques.

Values a number that can be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided.

Calculations formulas or functions that, when evaluated, result in a value.

If you construct your spreadsheets in the following steps you will have fewer problems and more success with your work.

Enter all labels and text. This creates a ‘map’ that determines where all other entries should be placed.
Enter all known or given values. Every spreadsheet has given values; they may be supplied by the accounting department or your research.
Create and enter all calculations, formulas, and functions. This will create new data from existing data.
Format the worksheet to make your data more readable.
Create any charts or graphs.

Scenario:

You have been asked to create a spreadsheet to record the number of students and their declared majors. This data is identified by gender and grouped by entering freshmen and graduates for the state college and university system. You will then determine the percentage of difference between the freshmen and graduates and report the results graphically.