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Introduction This workbook accompanies the Understanding Formulas computer skills training workshop. The trainer will demonstrate each skill and refer you to the relevant page at the appropriate time. This workbook can also be used independently at home. Work at your own pace during the workshop If you prefer to work through the workbook at your own pace, rather than follow the pace of the workshop, please feel free to do so. However, we would appreciate you refraining from asking questions until after the relevant section has been covered by the trainer. Improve your skills at home If you find it difficult to attend our workshops, or prefer to study independently, you can download our workbooks and exercise files wherever you are assuming you have a working internet connection. Downloading the exercise files for this workbook The exercises referred to within this (and other) workbook(s) can be downloaded from: http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/studyhub/workbooks/exercise-files. Downloading other workbooks All our workbooks can be downloaded from: http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/studyhub/workbooks. About us Our aim is to support you in your use of IT while studying at the University of Bedfordshire. Our computer skills training workshops are designed to help you to improve your IT skills so you can efficiently complete assignments and dissertations. Our workshops range from Fundamentals workshops which are suitable for complete beginners to workshops that cover more advanced skills. Our regular workshops are scheduled during academic terms, and published on the Learning Resources website: http://lrweb.beds.ac.uk/studyhub/whats-on. If you have an individual training need, please contact us to discuss your requirements. Contact us Linda Martin / Rosa Ramos 01582 489258 cst@beds.ac.uk

Contents Introduction... i Status bar statistics... 1 Copying formulas... 2 Using arithmetic operators in formulas... 3 Calculating percentages... 4 Absolute cell referencing...5/6/7 Creating mixed references... 8 Named ranges and formulas... 9 Naming a range... 10 Using a named range in a formula... 11 Further information... 12

Status bar statistics The status bar is located at the bottom of the Excel window. This is where Excel displays basic statistical information about your data, without the need to create a formula. All you need to do is select the range that contains your data. In the following example you will find statistical information regarding the body measurements of a sample of 20 male patients. 1. Move to the Status Bar Statistics worksheet. 2. Select the cells holding the weight for each patient and look down at the status bar, located at the bottom right of your screen. You will see the average weight, the number of cells (Count) included in the selected range and the total weight (Sum) of all 20 men. To display the smallest and largest value You can also display the smallest (minimum) and largest (maximum) value on the status bar. 1. Position mouse over the status bar and right click. 2. Click Minimum and Maximum from the displayed short cut menu. Use the status bar statistics to find the following information: What is the average age? What is smallest and largest hip measurement? What is the height of the shortest man and the tallest man? Answers in back of workbook. 1 Updated 21/10/15

Copying formulas Before we start to create formulas, you need to know how to copy a formula from one cell to another. In the following example you will copy (using different methods) a formula that adds and a formula that calculates an average, from one cell to many cells. Using the Fill handle to copy a formula 1. Move to the Copy Formulas worksheet, then click into cell B11. B11 holds a formula using the SUM function, which totals the expenditure for January. The formula is shown on the formula bar. 2. Position the mouse pointer over the fill handle at the bottom right of the cell. The pointer will change into a solid black cross. 3. Press the left mouse button and drag across to column M and release. The expenditure for each month will now be summed. Other methods 1. Click into cell B12. B12 holds a formula using the AVERAGE function, which calculates the average expenditure for January. The formula is shown on the formula bar. 2. Select cells B12:M12 (you can use your mouse or keyboard). 3. Click the Home tab, then click Fill and Right, located in the Editing group. Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+R (fills right) Ctrl+D (fills down) You can also use Copy and Paste, either from the Home ribbon or the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. Use the Fill handle to copy the formula from cell N2 down to cell N10. Use either the Fill menu or keyboard shortcut to copy the formula from cell O2 down to O10. 2 Updated 21/10/15

Using arithmetic operators in formulas The following table lists the arithmetic operators used in this workbook. Remember to apply the BODMAS guidelines (order in which calculations are made) when creating formulas with more than one type of operation. In Excel every formula you create must start with an equal sign (=). When you start a cell entry with an equal sign, Excel immediately knows that you are about to enter a formula. Task Operator Example Task Operator Example Add + =A2+A3 Multiply * =B2*B3 Subtract - =A2-A3 Divide / =B2/B3 Find out more For related mathematical resources, go to the Study Hub: Online (BREO Community) and refer to the Basic numerical operations folder in the Maths, Statistics and Excel section. In the following example you will add the contents of two cells together. Notice that you can change the value in a cell and the formula updates. 1. Move to the Add worksheet. 2. Click into cell B4 Type = Move to cell B2 Type + Move to cell B3 Click the tick on the formula bar or press enter. 3. Use your preferred method to copy the formula in cell B4 across to cell F4. Cancelling a calculation If you make a mistake when building you formula, press the Cancel button, located on the formula bar. Formula Bar Practise using arithmetic operators in formulas by entering the correct formulas into the Subtract, Multiply and Divide worksheets. 3 Updated 21/10/15

Calculating percentages Percentages in Excel are calculated using the following equation: amount/total=percentage This equation will give you a decimal. When calculating percentages in Excel, there is not a requirement to multiply by 100. Excel has a Percent Style which multiples by 100, displaying the value as a percentage with the % sign. Find out more For related mathematical resources, go to the Study Hub: Online (BREO Community) and refer to the Fractions, Decimals and Percentages folder in the Maths, Statistics and Excel section. Calculate a percentage as a proportion In the following example you will calculate the number of students living in halls of residence, as a percentage of the total students. 1. Move to the Percentages worksheet, then click into cell B4 and type = 2. Move to cell B2 (number of students living in halls of residence). 3. Press the divide operator / 4. Move to cell B3 (total number of students) and press enter. You should get 0.10. Excel stores and displays this percentage as a decimal. The Percent Style button multiplies the contents of the cell by 100 and displays the value as a percentage. 5. Click B4 and click the Percent Style button, located in the Number group on the Home ribbon. You should get 10%. Calculating percentage change The following formula subtracts the rail fare for 2011 from the rail fare for 2012. Inserting the formula in brackets ensures this calculation is done first. When you know the increase in fare, it is divided by the rail fare for 2011 to work out the percentage change. 1. Click into cell B10 enter =(B9-B8)/B8 You have typed the formula straight in to the cell, but you could have clicked onto cells instead. This ensures you don t enter the wrong cell reference 2. Format B15 to a percentage. You should get 13%. Calculate the number of customers over 30, as a percentage of the total number of customers. 4 Updated 21/10/15

Absolute cell referencing A formula which includes an absolute cell reference means that you can copy it elsewhere in your worksheet (or workbook) and the formula will always refer to that cell. Formulas with absolute cell references help to make Excel an excellent tool for decision making. Reference Type Formula What Happens After Copying the Formula Relative =A1 Both the column letter A and the row number 1 can change. Absolute =$A$1 The column letter A and the row number 1 do not change. Mixed =$A1 The column letter A does not change. The row number 1 can change. Mixed =A$1 The column letter A can change. The row number 1 does not change. In the following example you will create a formula to calculate revenue of ticket sales for each month, using an absolute cell reference. To understand how absolute cell references work you will first enter the formula incorrectly. You will then enter the formula correctly. 1. Move to the Revenue worksheet. Alternatively, enter the following data as shown. 2. Multiply cell B3 (ticket sales for January) by cell B1 (ticket price). Copy the formula across to cell E4. You will notice something is wrong. This is because the cells in formula =B3*B1 are relative. When copied across to the next cell, the cell references in the formula change to =C3*C1. Click onto C4 and look in the formula bar, you will see the formula =C3*C1. Cell C3 (ticket sales for February) is correct, but the formula wants to multiply it by cell C1, which is empty, resulting in a zero. To rectify this, you need to make cell B1 (the ticket price) absolute. 3. Delete the formula in cells B4:E4 and start again. Click into cell B4 and type = Move to cell B3 Type * Move to cell B1 and press the F4 key once (this makes cell $B$1 absolute). Click the tick located on the formula bar or press Enter. 4. Copy the formula across to cell E4 (using your preferred method). Calculate the revenue for books sold in a local bookshop, using absolute cell reference where required. Copy the formula in cell B12 across to E12. 5 Updated 21/10/15

Absolute cell referencing The following data shows sales of a book. Customers pay 1.00 delivery for each book ordered. You will create 3 formulas to calculate Sale, Delivery and Total to Invoice. The formulas for Sale and Delivery should include an absolute cell reference. 1. Move to the Book Sales worksheet. Alternatively, enter the data as shown: 2. Calculate the Sale for Julia (quantity x price per book). Click into cell C4 and type = Move to cell B4 (quantity) and type * Move to cell B1 (price per book) and press the F4 key once (this will make cell B1 absolute) Click the tick located on the formula bar or press Enter. 3. Copy the formula from C4 down to C9. 4. Calculate the Delivery for Julia (quantity x delivery per book). Don t forget to make cell B2 absolute (press F4). This is because the delivery charge per book is the same for each customer. 5. Copy the formula from D4 down to D9. 6. Calculate the total amount to invoice (sale + delivery) for Julia and copy the formula down to cell E9. There is no absolute cell referencing in this formula because the sale and delivery cells are different for each customer. Cell Formatting The cells in this example have been preformatted to 2 decimal places. Formatting is covered in the Excel Fundamentals workshop. Using the same worksheet calculate the following: Pay for each member of staff 5% bonus for each member of staff Total pay for each member of staff Use absolute cell referencing where required. 6 Updated 21/10/15

Absolute cell referencing You should now feel more comfortable with entering formulas with absolute cell references. The next example shows sales made by a sales team. You will enter a formula to calculate each sales person s sale as a percentage of the total sales. 1. Move to the Sales Percentage worksheet. Alternatively, enter the data as shown. 2. Calculate the sales for Katie Bryce as a percentage of the total sales. Click into cell C2 and type = Move to cell B2 type the divide operator / Move to cell B8 (Total Sales) and press the F4 key once (this will make cell B8 absolute) Click the tick located on the formula bar or press enter. The formula result is displayed in a decimal. This is because the cell is not formatted as a percentage. The Percent Style button multiples the cell by 100 and displays the % sign. 3. Format cells C4 to a percentage. 4. Copy the formula from C4 down to C7. Tip: A quick way to copy is to position your mouse on the fill handle (bottom right of cell) and double click. Using the same worksheet calculate the goals scored by Tom as a percentage of the total goals scored. Use absolute cell referencing and format C14 to percent style, then copy the formula down. 7 Updated 21/10/15

Creating mixed references In the following example you will enter a formula that contains mixed references. A mixed reference doesn t fix both the column and row, but either the column or row. The worksheet shows a square footage reference table for a particular room size. 1. Move to the Mixed References worksheet and click into cell C3. The formula is =B3*C2. If you copy this formula to the remaining cells, you will find it doesn t work. Some absolute cell referencing is required, but not for both column and row. 2. Starting in cell C3 Type = Move to B3 (the column only should be absolute or fixed) Press F4 three times (=$B3 will be displayed) Type * Move to C2 (the row only should be absolute or fixed) Press F4 twice (=$B3*C$2 will be displayed) Click the tick located on the formula bar or press enter. The formula should read =$B3*C$2. To check this, click on C3 and look in the formula bar. You may find it helpful to display the formulas, so you can work out how mixed references work. Click Show Formulas button, located in the Formula Auditing group on the Formulas ribbon. Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + ` $B3 means column B is fixed but the row number changes. C$2 means row 2 is fixed but the column letter changes. Delete the formulas in cell range C3:J12 and repeat the formula until you understand how mixed references work. 8 Updated 21/10/15

Named ranges and formulas Formulas are much easier to understand and manage if they include names instead of cell references. Creating names and using them in formulas has the following advantages: Formulas are more meaningful. Example: =quantity*price instead of =A1*A2. Formulas that include named ranges don't change when the formula is copied to other cells. Using a named range is the same as making cells absolute. Worksheets are more organised and are easier to navigate. Create or define names You can create a name in the following ways: The Defined Names group located on the Formulas ribbon. Name box on the formula bar - this is the easiest way to name a cell or range cells. Create a name from selection - you can create names from the existing row and column labels by using a selection of cells in the worksheet. New Name dialog box - this is accessed from Define Name... located in the Defined Names group on the Formulas ribbon. Use this if you want to create your own name and/or add comments. Valid Names A name can contain letters and numbers, but not spaces or punctuation. Use the underscore _ or a full stop to separate more than one word. Example Quantity*Cost_of_Book Enter names You can enter a name by: Typing the name when creating a formula. Using the Formula AutoComplete drop-down list, where valid names are automatically listed for you. This is displayed when you start to type a formula. Click the Use in Formula button located in the Defined Names group on the Formulas tab. 9 Updated 21/10/15

Naming a range Formulas are much easier to understand and manage if they include names instead of cell references. For more information on named ranges go back the previous page. The following examples will introduce you to the concept of naming ranges and using them in formulas. You will name some cells using different methods, then use them when creating the formulas on the next page. First you will name cells using the Name Box. 1. Move to the Naming Ranges worksheet and select cells B4:B9 (cell range holding quantities) The Name Box This displays the cell reference of the active cell and can be used to assign names to cells. It will also show the name assigned to a cell or range of cells. 2. Click into the Name Box, located on the formula bar, above column A. 3. Type the name Quantity, then press Enter. Cell range B4:B9 now has the range name Quantity. The name Quantity can be used instead of a cell reference, when creating a formula. You will now create a name for cell B1(cost of book) and B2 (delivery per book). This time you will use a different method. 4. Select cells A1:B2. Click the Formulas tab, then click Create from Selection, located in the Defined Name group. The Create names from Selection dialog box will be displayed. 5. Click Left column and then click OK. The values in B1 and B2 are now named using the text to the left (labels in A1 and A2). Important: remember you cannot have spaces in range names. Each space is replaced by an underscore. The cells you have named are as follows: Cost_of_book Delivery_per_book Create the name Hours for cell range B15:B19 (hours worked) using the Name Box. Create the name Hourly_Rate for cell range A13:B13 using Create names from Selection. 10 Updated 21/10/15

Using a named range in a formula This example follows on from the previous page. You have defined names for ranges of cells and you will now use them in some formulas. The names are displayed in the Name Box. First you will create a formula to calculate the sale for each customer. 1. Continue to use the Naming Ranges worksheet and click into cell C4. 2. Type =Quantity*Cost_of_book, then press Enter. As you type notice a drop-down list, which displays valid names. This is called the Formula AutoComplete and you can select (double-click) the name instead of typing it. 3. Copy the formula from C4 down to cell C9. The formulas have been correctly copied without the need to press F4 (make absolute). A named range is always absolute. 4. Click onto cell C4 and look in the formula bar. You will see the formula is displayed as =Quantity*Cost_of_book not =B4*B1. You will now use a different method to enter a name into a formula. 5. Click into cell D4 and type = 6. Click on Use in Formula, located in the Defined Names group on the Formulas ribbon. Your list of names will be displayed. 7. Choose Quantity from the list of displayed names, then type * 8. Click on Use in Formula once more and choose Delivery_per_book, then press enter. 9. Copy the formula from D4 down to cell D9. 10. Click onto cell D4 and look in the formula bar. You will see the formula is displayed as =Quantity*Delivery_of_book not =D4*B2. Create a formula with appropriate range names to calculate staff pay. Click the Name Manager button and look at the options. Names can be created and deleted here. 11 Updated 21/10/15

Further information and solutions to tasks Computer Skills Training Workshops This is just one of a number of workshops we offer to students throughout the academic year. To get the most of our workshops: Browse the workshop content (on BREO or LRweb) to ensure it meets your needs. Be aware that our advanced workshops are delivered at a faster pace; make sure you are confident using the software before attending an advanced workshop. Level Excel workshops Word workshops PowerPoint workshops Beginner Excel fundamentals Word fundamentals PowerPoint fundamentals Intermediate Create charts Format your assignment Animated slideshows Understand formulas Format your dissertation Create posters using PowerPoint Advanced Work with functions Manage your dissertation Use Excel to analyse data Find out more For related mathematical resources, go to Study Hub: Online (BREO Community) and Task solutions: Pg 1 average age 27.6 smallest hip measurement 94.5 largest hip measurement 109.0 shortest man 66.00 tallest man 76.00 12 Updated 21/10/15