Spreadsheet Practice

Lesson 1 of 29, Foundations

Your first formula

Every formula starts with an equals sign and points at cells, not numbers.

Free6 minutes, 2 exercises+ − × ÷( )

Watch it done

4 steps

Watch the technique worked out on sample data, then try it yourself in the exercises.

How it works

A formula is a calculation that lives in a cell. Type = first, then build it from cell references like B2, operators, and functions. The cell shows the result; the formula bar shows the formula.

Reference cells instead of typing the numbers you see. =B2*C2 recalculates the moment a quantity or price changes. =3*4.5 never will. The grader checks for this: it re-runs your formula on different numbers.

Excel follows the usual order of operations: parentheses first, then exponents (^), then * and /, then + and -. When in doubt, add parentheses.

Syntax

=B2*C2Multiply two cells
=(B2+C2)/2Parentheses run first
=B2^2B2 squared

Watch out for

  • Without the = sign, Excel stores your formula as plain text.
  • Typing the number you see (=3*4.5) works once and breaks when the data changes.
  • While typing a formula, click a cell to insert its reference.

The exercises

  1. Line totals. In D2, multiply the quantity by the unit price. Then fill the formula down to D5.
  2. Order of operations. In D2, average the midterm and final by adding them and dividing by 2. Fill down to D6. Skip the AVERAGE function for now; this one is about parentheses.

Line totals

In D2, multiply the quantity by the unit price. Then fill the formula down to D5.