USING COMPUTERS FOR YOUR PROJECTS: SPREADSHEETS

UNIT 4 SPREADSHEETS

         Spreadsheets are used to enter numerical or logical data. You can link cells with other cells and do arithmetic, statistical and financial calculations.

·       They are made up of cells arranged in a grid. Each cell has a name, made up of the letter of the column an de number of the row in which is located.

·       You can enter numerical data into a cell and/or refer to the number in another cell. For exemple, =100*F6 multiplies the value of cell F6 by 100.

® Formulae and functions

            A formula is an expression that refers to another cell or cells in a spreadsheet and carries out operations using the data in those cells.

            We can include the following types of data in a formula:

§  constants or fixed numbers

§  Arithmetics operators: add, subtract, multiply, divide, percentage and raising a number to the power of another

§  logical operators

§  individual cells or cell ranges

§  functions.

EXCEL

            is the spreadsheet application in the Microsoft Office package in Windows.

            To make charts in Excel, all you have to do is follow the wizard´s instructions and choose the best options for your needs.

            The chart you make can be copied and pasted as an object that can be edited as a picture or as a linked object.

Key words

Grid	Set of squares made up of regularly spaced vertical and horizontal lines.
Package	Set of computer applications with differents uses but which are completely compatible with one another.
To paste	(computers) To insert text, graphics or other data into a document o file.
Budget	The amount of money you have avaliable to spend on something.

Talking points

In small groups, using a spreadsheet to help you, create a budget table for a school trip with your classmates.

Discuss the different options in terms of transport, duration of the trip, destination, type of accommodation and any other variables you think are important.