Data In Some Of The Cells example essay topic

Microsoft excel is the most suitable program to use for task 3. Spreadsheets can display such as bold and italics, and also by changing the font, colour and sizes. and process data in a structured way. They can only process numbers but can handle text as well. Spreadsheets can be used to record data, search for particular items of data, perform calculations based on data, and produce graphs and charts. Spreadsheets are made up of rows and columns, which divide the sheet up into individual cells.

These cells are identified using co-ordinates; the column letter and row number. Data can then be entered into these cells. Each cell can contain either numerical data e.g. numbers, money, text data e.g. letters, people's names, or formulas e.g. adding up all the numbers in a column. You can only put one piece of data in a cell. You can improve the design of a spreadsheet by adding a title at the top of the spreadsheet, entering column and row headings, and by entering data into the cells. You can change the appearance of it by using conditional formatting.

This is where the format of a cell is changed if that cell meets certain conditions. You can also change the appearance by inserting graphics and sounds. Just like a word processor you can also make text more eye catching by using different types of type such as bold and italics. Spreadsheets can also do lots of calculations if you give them instructions such as formulas. You can then process data held in specific cells.

The most simplest functions are for multiplication, / for divide, + and -. You can also copy and paste formulas to other cells and excel will automatically insert the correct formulas for the totals of these rows. Therefore spreadsheets make it easy to do lots of similar calculations on large sets of data. Formulas can have absolute or relative cell references. An absolute cell reference is where part of a formula always refers to one particular cell, even if you copy and paste it to another cell.

To make a cell an absolute cell you need to put a dollar sign ($) in front of the coordinates of the cell. If this is not done the computer will change the cell reference in the formula when you copy it to another cell. A relative cell reference is where the data used in the formula is in the same place relative to the answer cell. In a spreadsheet you can also use look up tables. These display specified data that is stored in a table, kind of like a database. They are useful for large sets of data because they save you time looking for it.

You can use excel to produce graphs and charts such as pie charts, bar charts, line graphs, and scatter graphs. To create a chart you need to enter all the data you want to put into the graph or chart and put into a single block, arranged in columns. You then highlight all the data you wish to use, including the column headings. You then select the type of chart / graph that you wish to use and is most suitable to present the data you have. You can also need to add a suitable title, and labels for the axes.

You also have the choice if you want to add a key (legend), for your chart / graph. To complete task three I will need to use the following features from excel: . Conditional formatting - Excel allows me to conditionally format cells. The format of a cell can be changed if the contents of that cell meet certain conditions e.g. the cell could change colour if a number in that cell is negative... Formulas - It calculates formulas and allows the results of a formula to be shown within a cell. If any of the numbers are changed then the formulas are updated automatically...

Column and row headings - It will allow me to insert column and row headings on my spreadsheet... Absolute cell references - I will need to use some absolute cell references when I copy some of the formulas for some of the cells into other cells so that the cell reference is the same... Spinner buttons (active x controls) - I will use spinner buttons so that the data in some of the cells can be easily changed so that new prices are calculated for ponds with different lengths, widths and depths.