Excel Test #1
Left alignment
The cell format in which characters align at the left edge of the cell; this is the default for text entries and is an example of formatting information stored in a cell.
Active cell
The cell, surrounded by a black border, ready to receive data or be affected by the next Excel command.
Chart layout
The combination of chart elements that can be displayed in a chart such as a title, legend, labels for the columns, and the table of charted cells.
Chart
The graphic representation of data in a worksheet; data presented as a chart is usually easier to understand than a table of numbers.
Cell reference
The identification of a specific cell by its intersecting column letter and row number.
Cell
The intersection of a column and a row.
Sheet tabs
The labels along the lower border of the Excel window that identify each worksheet.
Category labels
The labels that display along the bottom of a chart to identify the categories of data; Excel uses the row titles as the category names.
Column heading
The letter that displays at the top of a vertical group of cells in a worksheet; beginning with the first letter of the alphabet, a unique letter or combination of letters identifies each column.
Select All box
A box in the upper left corner of the worksheet grid that, when clicked, selects all the cells in a worksheet.
Chart Elements button
A button that enables you to add, remove, or change chart elements such as the title, legend, gridlines, and data labels.
Chart Filters button
A button that enables you to change which data displays in the chart.
Chart Styles button
A button that enables you to set a style and color scheme for your chart.
AutoSum
A button that provides quick access to the SUM function.
Data bar
A cell format consisting of a shaded bar that provides a visual cue to the reader about the value of a cell relative to other cells; the length of the bar represents the value in the cell—a longer bar represents a higher value and a shorter bar represents a lower value.
Legend
A chart element that identifies the patterns or colors that are assigned to the categories in the chart.
AutoComplete
A feature that speeds your typing and lessens the likelihood of errors; if the first few characters you type in a cell match an existing entry in the column, Excel fills in the remaining characters for you.
Conditional format
A format that changes the appearance of a cell—for example, by adding cell shading or font color—based on a condition; if the condition is true, the cell is formatted based on that condition, and if the condition is false, the cell isnotformatted.
Value axis
A numerical scale on the left side of a chart that shows the range of numbers for the data points; also referred to as the y-axis.
Rounding
A procedure in which you determine which digit at the right of the number will be the last digit displayed and then increase it by one if the next digit to its right is 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.•RowA horizontal group of cells in a worksheet.
Normal view
A screen view that maximizes the number of cells visible on your screen and keeps the column letters and row numbers close to the columns and rows.
Excel table
A series of rows and columns that contains related data that is managed independently from the data in other rows and columns in the worksheet.
Number format
A specific way in which Excel displays numbers in a cell.•NumbervaluesConstant values consisting of only numbers.
COUNT function
A statistical function that counts the number of cells in a range that contains numbers.
COUNTIF function
A statistical function that counts the number of cells within a range that meet the given condition and that has two arguments—the range of cells to check and the criteria.
Sparkline
A tiny chart in the background of a cell that gives a visual trend summary alongside your data; makes a pattern more obvious.
Quick Analysis Tool
A tool that displays in the lower right corner of a selected range, with which you can analyze your data by using Excel tools such as charts, color-coding, and formulas.
Data point
A value that originates in a worksheet cell and that is represented in a chart by a data marker.
AutoFit
An Excel feature that adjusts the width of a column to fit the cell content of the widest cell in the column.
Recommended Charts
An Excel feature that displays a customized set of charts that, according to Excel's calculations, will best fit your data based on the range of data that you select.
Auto Fill
An Excel feature that generates and extends values into adjacent cells based on the values of selected cells.
Range finder
An Excel feature that outlines cells in color to indicate which cells are used in a formula; useful for verifying which cells are referenced in a formula.
Formula Bar
An element in the Excel window that displays the value or formula contained in the active cell; here you can also enter or edit values or formulas.
Name Box
An element of the Excel window that displays the name of the selected cell, table, chart, or object.
Formula
An equation that performs mathematical calculations on values in a worksheet.
Value
Another name for a constant value.
Label
Another name for a text value, and which usually provides information about number values.
Spreadsheet
Another name for a worksheet.
X-axis
Another name for the horizontal (category) axis.
Y-axis
Another name for the vertical (value) axis.
Cell content
Anything typed into a cell.
Format
Changing the appearance of cells and worksheet elements to make a worksheet attractive and easy to read.
Criteria
Conditions that you specify in a logical function.
Text values
Constant values consisting of only text, and which usually provide information about number values; also referred to as labels.
Data series
Related data points represented by data markers; each data series has a unique color or pattern represented in the chart legend.
Comparison operators
Symbols that evaluate each value to determine if it is the same (=), greater than (>), less than (<), or in between a range of values as specified by the criteria.
Data
Text or numbers in a cell
Accounting Number Format
The Excel number format that applies a thousand comma separator where appropriate, inserts a fixed U.S. dollar sign aligned at the left edge of the cell, applies two decimal places, and leaves a small amount of space at the right edge of the cell to accommodate a parenthesis for negative numbers.
Comma Style
The Excel number format that inserts thousand comma separators where appropriate and applies two decimal places; Comma Style also leaves space at the right to accommodate a parenthesis when negative numbers are present.
Pixel
The abbreviated name for a picture element.
Category axis
The area along the bottom of a chart that identifies the categories of data; also referred to as the x-axis.
Numbered row headings
The area along the left edge of a worksheet that identifies each row with a unique number.
Status bar
The area along the lower edge of the Excel window that displays, on the left side, the current cell mode, page number, and worksheet information; on the right side, when numerical data is selected, common calculations such as Sum and Average display.
Lettered column headings
The area along the top edge of a worksheet that identifies each column with a unique letter or combination of letters.
Displayed value
The data that displays in a cell.
Underlying value
The data that displays in the Formula Bar.
General format
The default format that Excel applies to numbers; this format has no specific characteristics—whatever you type in thecell will display, with the exception that trailing zeros to the right of a decimal point will not display.
Underlying formula
The formula entered in a cell and visible only on the Formula Bar.
Row heading
The numbers along the left side of an Excel worksheet that designate the row numbers.
Chart style
The overall visual look of a chart in terms of its graphic effects, colors, and backgrounds; for example, you can have flat or beveled columns, colors that are solid or transparent, and backgrounds that are dark or light.
Worksheet
The primary document that you use in Excel to work with and store data, and which is formatted as a pattern of uniformly spaced horizontal and vertical lines.
Filter
The process of displaying only a portion of the data based on matching a specific value to show only the data that meets the criteria that you specify.
Scaling
The process of shrinking the width and/or height of printed output to fit a maximum number of pages.
Fill handle
The small square in the lower right corner of a selected cell.
Arithmetic operators
The symbols +, -, *, /, %, and ^ used to denote addition, subtraction (or negation), multiplication, division, percentage, and exponentiation in an Excel formula.
Operators
The symbols with which you can specify the type of calculation you want to perform in an Excel formula.
Point and click method
The technique of constructing a formula by pointing to and then clicking cells; this method is convenient when the referenced cells are not adjacent to one another.
Arguments
The values that an Excel function uses to perform calculations or operations.
Detail sheets
The worksheets that contain the details of the information summarized on a summary sheet.•DraganddropThe action of moving a selection by dragging it to a new location.
Range
Two or more selected cells on a worksheet that are adjacent or nonadjacent; because the range is treated as a single unit, you can make the same changes or combination of changes to more than one cell at a time.
Chart types
Various chart formats used in a way that is meaningful to the reader; common examples are column charts, pie charts, and line charts.
Worksheet grid area
A part of the Excel window that displays the columns and rows that intersect to form the worksheet's cells.
Picture element
A point of light measured in dots per square inch on a screen; 64 pixels equals 8.43 characters, which is the average number of characters that will fit in a cell in an Excel worksheet using the default font.
SUM function
A predefined formula that adds all the numbers in a selected range of cells.
Function
A predefined formula—a formula that Excel has already built for you—that performs calculations by using specific values in a particular order.
Theme
A predefined set of colors, fonts, lines, and fill effects that coordinate with each other.
Column
A vertical group of cells in a worksheet.
Workbook
An Excel file that contains one or more worksheets.
AVERAGE function
An Excel function that adds a group of values, and then divides the result by the number of values in the group.
Excel pointer
An Excel window element with which you can display the location of the pointer.
Expand Formula Bar button
An Excel window element with which you can increase the height of the Formula Bar to display lengthy cell content.
Expand horizontal scroll bar button
An Excel window element with which you can increase the width of the horizontal scroll bar.
Middle Align
An alignment command that centers text between the top and bottom of a cell.
Cell address
Another name for a cell reference.
Sheet tab scrolling buttons
Buttons to the left of the sheet tabs used to display Excel sheet tabs that are not in view; used when there are more sheet tabs than will display in the space provided.
Relative cell reference
In a formula, the address of a cell based on the relative positions of the cell that contains the formula and the cell referred to in the formula.
Constant value
Numbers, text, dates, or times of day that you type into a cell.
Series
A group of things that come one after another in succession; for example, January, February, March, and so on.
Absolute cell reference
A cell reference that refers to cells by their fixed position in a worksheet; an absolute cell reference remains the same when the formula is copied.
Column chart
A chart in which the data is arranged in columns and that is useful for showing data changes over a period of time or for illustrating comparisons among items.
Switch Row/Column
A charting command to swap the data over the axis—data being charted on the vertical axis will move to the horizontal axis and vice versa.
Data marker
A column, bar, area, dot, pie slice, or other symbol in a chart that represents a single data point; related data points form a data series.
Context sensitive
A command associated with the currently selected or active object; often activated by right-clicking a screen item.
Show Formulas
A command that displays the formula in each cell instead of the resulting value.
Merge & Center
A command that joins selected cells in an Excel worksheet into one larger cell and centers the contents in the merged cell.
Cell style
A defined set of formatting characteristics, such as font, font size, font color, cell borders, and cell shading.
Auto Calculate
A feature that displays three calculations in the status bar by default—Average, Count, and Sum—when you select a range of numerical data.
Chart Styles gallery
A group of predesigned chart styles that you can apply to an Excel chart.
