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Formulae

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Functional Skills check

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The advantages of using formulae in spreadsheets.

Techniques for using basic formulae.

Ways of linking to data in other spreadsheet files.

This lesson will cover:

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Uses of spreadsheet formulae

A good knowledge of how to use spreadsheet formulae can save you lots of time and avoid frustration.

Are formulae and functions the same thing?

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Entering formulae

At first glance, a spreadsheet may look like one big table. However, when you begin to add formulae to your datasheets, you begin to see the wide-ranging uses that spreadsheets have.

In this example, a formula has been entered into cell L2 to addup the total points scored by each pupil on a sports day.

The formula in this case is: =E2+G2+I2+K2

Note that a formula should always start with =

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After typing in your formula, press enter to see the result. If you see #VALUE! in the cell it means there is a mistake in your formula.

Using operators

The arithmetic operators that are used within formulae are:

You may find it useful to use the right hand side keypad when entering formula. This part of the keyboard will only work if NumLock is on.

+ used for addition - used for subtraction* used for multiplication / used for division.

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Test your knowledge

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Replicating formulae

Formulae can take some time to enter. To speed things up, you can replicate the formula into the required cells .

This process is known as filling:

Select the cell with the formula.Click and drag the bottom right-handcorner of the box until you haveselected all the cells you wish toadd the formula to.

You can also use the normal copy and paste commands ifyou prefer. Excel will automatically change the cellreferences so that: changes to:

This is called a relative cell reference.

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Advanced formulae

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True or false?