A spreadsheet stores data in cells and calculates from it. This topic covers formulas, functions and presenting results.
A cell is identified by its column letter and row number, so A3 is column A, row 3. A workbook is a file holding one or more worksheets, and a range such as A1:A10 covers a block of cells.
A formula starts with =. Copying a formula one column to the right changes A1 to B1, because the reference is relative. Writing $A$1 fixes it, and $B4 fixes only the column. The fill handle copies formulas or continues a pattern.
SUM adds, AVERAGE finds the mean, and MAX and MIN find the largest and smallest values. IF returns one result or another depending on a condition, COUNTIF counts cells matching a rule, and VLOOKUP finds a related value in a table.
Sorting puts rows in order and filtering shows only those matching a condition. Conditional formatting changes how a cell looks when a rule is met, and data validation restricts what may be entered.
Charts show patterns: a bar chart compares categories, a pie chart shows parts of a whole, and a line chart shows change over time. Using cell references rather than typed totals means results update when the source data changes.
A spreadsheet is built for someone. Checking it against what they actually need, before and after building it, is what shows whether it works.
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