Excel's Formula This cell, which calculates the number of days between today and Christmas, is an example of a formula. Formulas can be placed in any cell in an Excel worksheet, and they allow you to save time by making the program itself perform any tricky calculations The idea of entering a formula sounds tricky, but Excel makes it quick and easy with the Insert Function button.
To try it out, start a new worksheet and make a simple shopping list: enter a range of item names in the cells Al to A7 and put prices next to them in cells Bl to B7. Now
suppose that you want to work out the total cost for these items. We'll add a formula into cell B8 to find out.
Click in cell B8, then click the Insert Function button. marked with letters fx The Insert Function box will appear. At the top is a search box. We
want to add up the values in cells Bl to B7, so type in add numbers and click Go. The list of functions, below, will update. Click on the top one and read its description below - it doesn't sound like what we want, so try the one below that. Read through all the functions - you should find that the function called SUM, which "adds all the numbers in a range of cells", sounds about right. Select SUM from the list and click OK.
The next dialogue box allows you to choose which cells to add up. Fortunately, Excel is pretty smart, and it automatically guesses that you want all the cells between Bl and B7. Click OK. You'll see that next to the Insert Function button Excel has created a formula for you, and that cell B8 now displays the total cost of the shopping list. This is quicker than adding all the item costs up yourself, and it has other advantages too. Change the price of one of the items in the list, and you'll see that the total in B8 updates automatically.
The Insert Function button can be used to create all sorts of formulae quickly and easily. Delete the formula in cell B8 and use the Insert Function button to work out the average cost of the items in your list instead - the function you'll need is called AVERAGE.
It may not be the most attractive-looking program, but Excel is a great tool whether you're compiling lists, making graphs or working out costs, and its ability to use formulae can save loads of time. Whatever you're planning, Excel can help you to work it out.
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