1
Creating Formulas and Charts in Excel - Basic
Using Excel
When you open up Excel, this is the first window you will see.
This will open up a new Excel workbook and a spreadsheet will appear. You will notice
that columns are labeled alphabetically and rows are labeled numerically.
Choose Excel
Workbook and
then click “OK”
2
An active cell has a light blue border around it. Click in the cell you want to make active.
Entering Values
In excel, a value can be any text, number, date, or time you enter in a cell. Activate the
cell in which you want to enter a value. As you type the data will appear in two places:
the active cell and the formula bar.
If the value you enter does not fit into the cell, it will overflow into the cell in the next
column. In order to fit the value, place the cursor between the first two columns the
value occupies. A double arrow with a line in the middle will appear. Double-Click.
Excel will auto fit the column to the width of the cell.
Formula Bar
3
Cell References
In Excel, formulas use cell references to refer to other cells. If you change the content of
the cells, then the result of the formula also change. The cell reference is found in the
*Formula Bar or you put the cursor over the cell, Excel tells you the cell reference.
*If you do not see the formula bar on your screen, then click View and select
Formula Bar.
Entering Formulas by Typing Using Cell References
Type the values in the cell. Click on an empty cell you want to place the formula in.
Once you click the active cell, it will have a blue border around it. Type a formula in the
Formula Bar OR in the active cell.
The cell reference
for 21 is D3.
4
To write a formula, first, type an equal (=) sign. All formulas need to begin with an equal
sign. Next, enter a cell reference, constant or operator (+ ,-. *, /,^) until finish entering
the formula in the bar. Complete the formula by pressing retu