A spreadsheet (like MS Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice Calc) organises data in a grid of cells and can calculate automatically. It's perfect for marks, budgets and any tables of numbers (CBSE 165, Unit 3).
1Worksheets, workbooks & data entry
Key terms:
| Term | Means |
|---|---|
| Cell | One box; named by its column letter + row number (e.g. B3) |
| Worksheet | One grid/sheet of cells |
| Workbook | The whole file — can hold many worksheets |
You can enter numbers, text and date/time into cells. Autofill continues a series automatically — type Jan then drag, and it fills Feb, Mar…; type 1, 2 and drag to get 3, 4, 5…
- A cell is named by column letter + row number (B3); a worksheet is one grid; a workbook is the whole file (many sheets).
- Cells can hold numbers, text and date/time.
- Autofill continues a series automatically (Jan→Feb→Mar; 1,2→3,4,5).
2Formatting & structure
Make data readable with cell formatting: cell colour (fill), text size, font, bold/italic, and text alignment (left/center/right).
Structural changes
- Insert / delete cells, rows and columns.
- Adjust column width and row height to fit the data.
- Cell formatting: fill colour, font, size, bold/italic, and text alignment.
- You can insert/delete cells, rows and columns, and resize columns/rows.
- Number formats (currency, percent, date) change how a value is shown, not its actual value.
3Formulas, cell references & functions
A formula starts with = and calculates a result. Instead of typing numbers, you use cell references so the result updates if the data changes:
=A1 + A2 adds the values in A1 and A2 =B2 * C2 multiplies B2 by C2 =(A1 + A2) / 2 average of two cells
Operators: + - * /. Functions are ready-made formulas:
| Function | Returns |
|---|---|
=SUM(A1:A10) | Total of a range |
=AVERAGE(A1:A10) | Average (mean) |
=MAX(A1:A10) / =MIN(...) | Largest / smallest |
=IF(A1>=33, "Pass", "Fail") | One value if true, another if false |
- A formula starts with = and uses cell references (=A1+A2) so results update when data changes.
- Operators: + - * / ; a range like A1:A10 means cells A1 to A10.
- Functions: SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, and IF(condition, value-if-true, value-if-false).
4Charts
A chart turns numbers into a picture, making trends easy to see. Pick the chart that fits your data:
| Chart | Best for |
|---|---|
| Line | Showing change over time (e.g. marks each term) |
| Bar / Column | Comparing values across categories |
| Pie | Showing parts of a whole (percentages) |
| Scatter | Relationship between two number sets |
| Area | Like a line chart, with the area filled in |
To make one: select the data → Insert → Chart → choose the type. The chart is embedded in the worksheet and updates if the data changes.
- Charts turn numbers into pictures to show trends and comparisons.
- Line = change over time; Bar/Column = compare categories; Pie = parts of a whole; Scatter = relationship; Area = filled line.
- Select data → Insert → Chart; the chart updates when the data changes.
★ Practical: a marks sheet
Build a spreadsheet that:
- Has columns Name, Maths, Science, Total and Average for five students.
- Uses =SUM(...) for Total and =AVERAGE(...) for Average with cell references.
- Uses =MAX(...) to find the highest total and =IF(...) to print Pass/Fail.
- Adds a bar chart comparing the students' totals.
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