Today's Goals
- Understand the three layers: workbook, worksheet, cell
- Read addresses like A1 and ranges like A1:C3
- Write your first formula and understand what = means
- Use the fill handle to build series quickly
Key Concepts
1. Three concepts before anything else
A workbook is the .xlsx file itself. Worksheets are the tabs (Sheet1, Sheet2) at the bottom. Cells are the boxes where data lives — one value per cell, never two things in one box.
2. Reading cell addresses
Columns use letters, rows use numbers. C4 means column C, row 4. A range uses its top-left and bottom-right corners: A1:C3 covers nine cells. Addresses are the foundation of every formula — practice naming any cell on sight.
3. Your first formula
Every calculation starts with =. Type =3+2 and press Enter: the cell shows 5. Type =A1+B1 and it shows the sum of those two cells. Formulas reference addresses, not values — change A1 and the result updates itself. That is the real difference between a spreadsheet and a calculator.
4. The fill handle
Drag the small square at the corner of a selection to copy. Enter 1 and 2, select both, drag: Excel keeps going 3, 4, 5. Dates fill day by day. Formulas adjust as they fill: =E2+F2 in G2 becomes =E3+F3 in G3. This is called relative referencing.
Today's Code
excel=3+2 =A1+B1 =A1*B1/2
Results: 5; the sum of A1 and B1; A1 times B1 halved. Standard math precedence applies — parentheses force the order.
| Input | Shows | Note |
|---|---|---|
| =10-4 | 6 | subtraction |
| =8/2 | 4 | division uses / |
| =2^3 | 8 | power uses ^ |
Exercises
- Put price 25 in A1, quantity 4 in A2, and a formula in A3 for the amount.
- Fill 1 to 20 in column B using only the fill handle.
- In C1, average A1 and B1 using only + and /.
Exercise Solutions
- =A1*A2 shows 100; change A1 to 30 and A3 becomes 120 on its own.
- Type 1 in B1 and 2 in B2, select both, drag to row 20 — or type 1 and drag with Ctrl held.
- =(A1+B1)/2; the parentheses make the addition run first.
Real-World Scenario
A small shop keeps a daily log: date, item, unit price, quantity, amount. Four columns are typed; the amount column computes itself:
| Date | Item | Price | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/11 | Notebook | 5 | 10 | =C2*D2 → 50 |
| 10/11 | Pen | 2 | 20 | =C3*D3 → 40 |
Write =C2*D2 once, drag it down, and each new day needs only four typed columns. Thinking in whole columns with one formula is the foundation for every lesson after this.
Common Errors and Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| #NAME? | Full-width punctuation in the formula | Use half-width English punctuation |
| Typing 1/2 turns into a date | Excel reads the fraction as a date | Format the cell as Text first, or type 0 1/2 |
| Formula shows as text | Cell formatted as Text, or Show Formulas mode | Set format to General and re-enter; Ctrl+` toggles |
| Cell shows #### | Column too narrow | Double-click the column border |
Extension Exercises
- Generate two rows of 1–9 with the fill handle, then one formula dragged down and across for a times table.
- Extend the log to 10 rows and total the amounts — try the clumsy =E2+E3+E4 way; SUM arrives next lesson.
Summary
This lesson answered where to start: workbooks hold worksheets, worksheets hold cells; addresses read column-then-row; formulas start with = and reference addresses; the fill handle copies patterns. Next lesson adds the five most-used functions on top.
From Online Toolbox (www.vba.net)