Spreadsheet
Basics
Objective 4.01
What is a Spreadsheet?
A spreadsheet (or worksheet) is an arrangement of cells
in columns and rows used to organize, analyze,
calculate, and report information, usually in numerical
form.
A workbook is a file which contains one or more
spreadsheets.

Spreadsheets Perform Mathematical Calculations
Do you or your family use spreadsheets?
Daily Uses of Spreadsheets:
 Balancing a checkbook
 Calculating car loans
 Calculating student grades (helping students keep
up with their grades)
 Household budgets
Why would a business use spreadsheets?
 Payroll
 Financial statements for a business (profit/loss)
2

Designing a Spreadsheet
Cell – individual locations on a spreadsheet
(intersection of a row and column)
 Column— identified by letters of the alphabet (vertical)
 Column A refers to all of the contents in a vertical range of
cells in the first column of the spreadsheet.
 Row— identified by numbers (horizontal)
 Row 3 refers to all of the contents in a horizontal range of cells
on Row 3
A B C D
1
2 CELL
3
ROWS
(horizontal)
COLUMNS (vertical)
3

Cell Specifics
Cell Range:
• A4:A16 refers to a group of adjacent cells
• A Range is a group/block of cells.
• example: A6:E16 refers to a range of cells in a specific
spreadsheet.
Cell Address: a specific location
• Cell A4 = Cell address
• It is the Column letter and Row number.
• The cell address is also called the cell reference.
Active cell:
• The cell that is selected
• It is the cell that is ready to receive information4