PRDV004: Spreadsheets

Watch this video to learn how to input data into the cells of a spreadsheet. The presenter also mentions why you should consistently save your work.

This video discusses the structure of spreadsheets. The presenter also describes how to use formulas to perform calculations, which we explore in more detail in Unit 2.

As you read this article, open up your spreadsheet program and follow along with the text. This will help you learn how to enter headings and data. This tutorial also explains some special functions of Excel, which we will discuss in more detail in the next unit. We use functions to perform simple calculations, and we can use autofill to make it easier to input large amounts of information. You will also learn how to format your spreadsheet to make it easier to read.

Read pages 1–6. The beginning of this article reviews the parts of a spreadsheet and how to enter data. Open your spreadsheet program and complete the tutorial from the beginning. Be sure to save your work, since we will keep working on this spreadsheet later. Pages 4–5 show how to edit data and format rows and columns.

When we format a spreadsheet, we sometimes also need to copy and paste data from different sources. Watch this video to see how data can be copied from a source and pasted into a spreadsheet.

Because spreadsheets often contain large amounts of data, it can be helpful to add notes or comments to your work. This is especially true for business applications where several people may use the same spreadsheet. This video explains the difference between notes and comments, and shows how to add them to your spreadsheet.

Read pages 7–8. Open the spreadsheet you started in the previous section and follow along using this tutorial. Here, we learn how to perform simple mathematical functions, and how to use autofill to easily perform a calculation on a large set of data. Save your work so you can use this spreadsheet again in the next section.

This article introduces spreadsheet functions. It also discusses some of the more complicated functions, such as calculating averages of sets of data. Open your spreadsheet program as you read this article so you can follow along and perform your own calculations with functions.

Read the rest of this article, starting on page 9, to see how to create a graph from the data you used in the earlier parts of the tutorial and how to create an easy-to-read table of your data.

Watch these videos, which introduce the types of graphs and charts we can create in spreadsheet programs, such as bar graphs, pie graphs, scatter plots, and combinations of graphs.

This tutorial shows how to use a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to plan for a family's expenses within a set budget. At the bottom of the article, there is a sample dataset that you can download and use to follow along with the tutorial.

Like the video you just watched, this tutorial focuses on making a personal budget. You can download the budget template used in the video here. This template includes bar graphs generated from your data to show your income versus expenses, and how much money you are able to save.

This video describes how to make a budget or income statement for a business. While the basic format is the same as for a personal budget, there are some additional considerations you should make for a business budget.

Read this example of a work estimate for an auto repair shop. The author uses a table to create an easy-to-read work estimate for an auto repair. The data is organized so that customers can quickly see the number and types of repairs required, the number of work hours, the price per hour, and the total cost for each repair.