Excel Formulas & Functions
Excel
A Microsoft application that allows the user to create spreadsheets which are mathematical in nature and include formulas to automatically calculate answers; also creates charts.
Absolute Cell Reference
A cell reference that will not change to reflect a new location when moved or copied.
Pointing
A method of entering cell references into a formula or function by which the mouse is used to click a cell and/or drag across a range of cells in order to enter them.
Function
A prewritten formula that makes it easy to perform common calculations especially when they involve too many cells to list separately.
Fill Handle
A small handle on the bottom right corner of a spreadsheet cell which allows the user to copy the contents of the selected cell to adjacent cells.
Average Function
An Excel function that adds a group of values, and then divides the result by the number of values in the group.
Sum Function
An Excel function that adds all the numbers in a selected range of cells.
Max Function
An Excel function that displays the highest value in a range.
Min Function
An Excel function that displays the lowest value in a range.
Count Function
An Excel function used to provide a count of the number of cells containing numerical values within the selected range of cells. This function ignores any text values contained in the selected range of cells.
100
Answer to following function if the value in cell B5 contains a 10 and the answer in cell C5 contains a 20; =IF(B5<C5, 100, 200)
200
Answer to following function if the value in cell B5 contains a 10 and the answer in cell C5 contains a 20; =IF(B5>C5, 100, 200)
If...Then Function
Conditional statement in Excel that performs one action or value if the condition is true and a different action or value if the condition is false.
=
Equal to
>
Greater than
>=
Greater than or equal to
<
Less than
<=
Less than or equal to
Formula
Must always start with "=".
<>
Not equal to
3
Number of arguments in an if...then function.
+
Represents addition in a spreadsheet on the computer.
/
Represents division in a spreadsheet on the computer.
^
Represents exponentiation in a spreadsheet on the computer.
*
Represents multiplication in a spreadsheet on the computer.
-
Represents subtraction in a spreadsheet on the computer.
( ) - Parenthesis
Symbol required at the start and finish when writing functions in Excel.
Relative Cell Reference
The default cell reference where the cell references in a formula or function will change to reflect the new location when moved or copied.
$
The symbol which must be placed on a cell reference row letter and column number in order to designate it as an absolute cell reference.
Esc
They key which cancels data entry in a spreadsheet and restores the original contents of the cell.
