Exercise 7.

1
2. Outline the advantages of electronic spreadsheets over manual methods.
 Ease of calculation – many calculations can be performed quickly and accurately
 Ease of editing data – data can be quickly edited without leaving a trace, and it can
be moved quickly
 Recalculation – calculation can be set to be done automatically whenever a value is
updated
 Ease of storage – large amounts of data can be stored and retrieved quickly
 Display options – data can be displayed in various ways such as charts, tables etc.

4. Describe the three main types of data in a spreadsheet.

 Label – is text entered into a cell to explain the data in a specific rows or columns.
This type of data is for headings of rows and columns and are not used for
calculations.
 Values – are numbers stored in each cell. They are used for calculations.
 Formulas – are instructions in each cell that are used to perform a calculation. The
formula is not shown, while the results of the calculation is shown in the table.

7. List four identifiable areas of a well-designed spreadsheet.

 The instruction area contains information about the spreadsheet. It should include a
heading stating what this spreadsheet is for and directions on how to enter data into
the spreadsheet to obtain correct results.
 The input area contains labels and headings and values on which calculation is based
on. Different values need to be correctly labelled.
 The calculation area contains the formulas and functions that is key of the
spreadsheet.
 The output area displays the results of the spreadsheet. It may be the same as the
calculation area.

8. If the following data were entered into a spreadsheet, would it be classified as a label, a value
or a formula?
a. New South Wales
Label
b. =D1+E2
Formula
c. 12
Value
d. B1-B7
Formula
e. ‘2003 World Cup’
Label

Jieshun Wang
Exercise 7.2
2. Write the following cells as a range of cells:
a. C3, C4, C5, C5, C6, C7, C8, C9, C10
C3:C10
b. D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, D8, D9, D10, D11
D1:D11
c. A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3
A1:C3

3. What is a circular reference?

Circular reference is when a cell contains a formula which refers to itself. This will result in
an endless loop and an error message will be displayed. E.g. when the formula in cell K3 is
‘=K3+1’.

4. List three different types of operators.

 ‘*’ – multiplication
 ‘/’ – division
 ‘^’ – exponential

7. Explain the difference between absolute and relative referencing.

Absolute referencing means that when the formula is copied or moved the formula will be
copied exactly, everything will be exactly the same. This is done by using the $ sign. E.g. if
‘=$C$8*$D$6’ (multiples contents of cell C8 and D6) is entered into one cell and copied to
another cell, it will stay exactly the same ‘=$C$8*$D$6’.
Relative referencing is when the formula changes automatically by the spreadsheet software
so they could relate to the new destination cell when it was copied to another cell. E.g. if cell
E5 contain the formula =B5*D5, when it is copied to cell E6, the spreadsheet software will
automatically change the formula to =B6*D6.

Jieshun Wang
Chapter Review
PART C
Write at least one paragraph on each of the following questions.
1. Explain the difference between the three main types of data in a spreadsheet. Give examples
of each type.
There are three main types of data in a spreadsheet:
 Labels are text which provides information and describes the data inside a
spreadsheet. They are used as headings for rows and columns and are not used in any
calculation.
 Values are numbers which are entered into the spreadsheet which are used for
calculations.
 Formulas are instructions for the spreadsheet software to follow for performing
calculations. In the table, the formula is not shown, while the results of the
calculations are shown.

2. Briefly explain the following terms:

a. Function
Functions are built in formulas that makes calculation easier. Spreadsheet software
contains 100+ functions which could be used. E.g. A function could be =AVERAGE(…),
where the values contained inside the bracket is averaged and the results are displayed in
the table. Functions could be used in a formula in combinations with other values and
operators. Functions also allows for deleting/adding rows and columns where if a row is
deleted, sometimes a formula will be incorrect while a function the serves the same
purpose as that formula will always remain correct.

b. ‘what if’ prediction

Spreadsheets automatically recalculates data when any values used by a formula is
changed. This allows users to explore the changes in the results when a certain value is
altered. This process is called ‘what if’ predictions. They allow users to find the optimal
values for the desired outcome.

c. Relational operator.
Relational operators test the relationships between two numbers: whether one number is
greater/smaller/equal to etc. of another number. For example, in a spreadsheet, =3+2=4
would return the values FALSE, because 3+2=5 not 4.

3. Briefly describe the options for formatting cells.

Cells could be formatted in many different ways. The values in the cell could be formatted
into different categories for the spreadsheet software to treat it in different ways when using
them for calculations. These categories include: General, Number, Currency, Accounting,
Date, Time etc. The values inside cells could also be formatted to different alignments. Align
left aligns contents to the left of the cell, align right aligns contents to the right of the cell,
centre aligns content around the middle of the cell etc. Different fonts could be applied to the
values as well as changes to typeface, type size, stroke weight, colour etc. The borders around
the cell could be altered as well as the colour and type of shading of the cell.

Jieshun Wang