Spreadsheet Basics

Spreadsheet Basics
After studying this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain the basic purpose of a spreadsheet program. Identify the various components of the Excel screen. Navigate the Excel worksheet (entering, correcting, and moving data within the worksheet). Explain the purpose and usage of Excel’s built-in functions and macro functions. Create graphics and know how to print and save files in Excel.
The term “spreadsheet” covers a wide variety of elements useful for quantitative analysis of all kinds. Essentially, a spreadsheet is a simple tool consisting of a matrix of cells that can store numbers, text, or formulas. The spreadsheet’s power comes from its ability to recalculate results as you change the contents of other cells. No longer does the user need to do these calculations by hand or on a calculator. Instead, with a properly constructed spreadsheet, changing a single number (say, a sales forecast) can result in literally