Introduction to Excel

• In our society the ability to organize and evaluate quantitative data is an important skill.
• Our daily lives are filled with data analysis activities
  • Balancing a checking account.
  • Creating/following a budget.
  • Purchasing and paying for large ticket items.
• Professionally the world is becoming very data driven.
• Spreadsheets are tools which assist in this activity.
  • Spreadsheets allow you to manipulate and visualize data.
  • This will almost certainly involve the use of mathematical formulas.
  • Most of the computations we do in this class are directly related to problems you will encounter in academia and life.
• My expectations include
  • You are able to use any computation shown in class or developed in the book.
  • You will ask for help if you don't know how to perform a computation that is demonstrated.
• You should
  • Keep track of the computations we do in class and in the exercises.
    • This includes making notes on the values that are used in a computation.
    • Making notes on the functions used in computations.
  • If you do a computation, you should know what it does and how to do it.
  • If you need help with the mathematics, ask.
• A spreadsheet is not a word processor
  • To assist you in the exercises, the book will frequently show a screenshot of the final product.
  • This will include numbers which you have been instructed to compute.
  • Just typing in the numbers in the picture is a 0 credit activity.
  • I expect you to learn how to perform these computations.
• We will be learning some techniques for using a spreadsheet and I expect you to learn those as well.
  • Absolute, relative and mixed cell references for example.
  • You should develop a list of functions as well.
• Finally
  • You should finish your homework BEFORE you decide to ditch class.
  • Zach, Russel and I are here to help you.
  • "This was hard and I didn't know how to do it" is no excuse for not doing your homework on time.
  • "I am not a math person" is not either.
• A worksheet is a single spreadsheet.
• A workbook is a collection of spreadsheets.
• A worksheet consists of
  • a series of rows, named with numbers.
  • and a series of columns named with letters.
• The intersection of a row and column is a cell
  • Cells are named by the column letter and row number.
• A rectangular collection of cells is called a range
  • Ranges are named by their upper left hand cell: lower right hand cell.
  • The book also presents named ranges, but I am less worried about that.
• A cell can contain one of three things.
  • Data - a value to be used in a computation.
  • Labels - text that describes the data in a near by cell.
  • Equations - a formula that performs a computation.
• Some general rules
  • Label EVERYTHING, a number floating in a cell means nothing.
    • I generally label either above or to the left, depending on what I am doing.
    • This is done in all of the exercises.
    • Pay attention and copy what you see.
  • Placing values that might change in a cell then doing a computation using the cell name is generally preferred.
    • This is a harder call
    • But the book does this.
    • Making a changeable computation is an extremely useful skill.
    • It demonstrates problem solving, critical thinking and the ability to perform abstraction.
  • Using a function in place of entering your own formula.
• The basics of formulas
  • Formulas start with an = sign.
  • Then contain cell references, constants, operators and functions.
  • Operators are given on page 385, but the usual: +-*/,
• Let's plan a party.
  • Estimate guests.
  • Hot dogs, 16 for 6.48
  • Buns : 16 for 2.58
  • Soda : 32 cans for 7.98
  • Chips: 1 bag for 4.98 (serves 4)