Excel Theory Terms

Formula Bar

A bar below the Ribbon that displays the value contained in the active cell and is used to enter or edit values or formulas.

Keyboard Shortcuts

A combination of CTRL, ALT, WINDOWS, and character keys that perform a command when pressed.

Freeze Panes

A command used to keep rows or columns visible when scrolling in a large worksheet. The frozen rows or columns become separate panes.

Workbook

A file that you can use to organize various kinds of related information.

Conditional Formatting

A format such as cell shading or font color, which is applied to cells when a specified condition is true.

Data Bar

A format that provides a visual cue to the reader about the value of a cell relative to other cells. The length of the data bar represents the value in the cell.

AVERAGE

A function that adds a group of values, and then divides the result by the number of values in the group.

COUNT

A function that counts the number of cells that contain numbers.

MAX

A function that returns the largest value in a range of cells.

NOW

A function that returns the serial number of the current date and time.

TODAY

A function that returns the serial number of the current date.

MIN

A function that returns the smallest value in a range of cells.

IF Function

A logical function that checks whether criteria is met, and then returns one value when the condition is TRUE, and another value when the condition is FALSE.

Function

A prewritten Excel formula that takes a value or values, performs an operation, and returns a value or values.

Summary Sheet

A worksheet that displays and summarizes totals from other worksheets.

Detail Sheet

A worksheet with cells referred to by summary sheet formulas.

Range Finder

An Excel feature that outlines all of the cells referenced in a formula. It is useful for verifying which cells are used in a formula and it can be used to edit formulas.

Formula

An equation that performs mathematical calculations on numeric values in a worksheet.

Truncate

Cut Off

Relative Cell Address

Refers to cells based on their position in relation to (relative to) the cell that contains the formula.

Cell Address

The column letter and row number that identify a cell; also called the cell reference.

Worksheet Tabs

The labels along the lower border of the workbook window that identify each worksheet or chart sheet.

Worksheet

The primary document that you can use in Excel to store and work with data; also called a spreadsheet.

Spreadsheet

The primary document that you can use in Excel to store and work with data; also called a worksheet.

Range

Two or more cells in a worksheet that are adjacent or nonadjacent.

Absolute Cell Address

a cell reference that will not change when the formula is copied to a new cell, assigned by dollar signs before the column and row identifiers; example: $A$1