Topic 18: How to Write an Excel Formula?

[seema]

What is Excel 2007 formula? and what it’s use for?

A formula is an equation that performs operations on worksheet data. You can use an Excel 2007 formula to perform mathematical operations, such as addition and multiplication, or they can compare worksheet values, join text, averaging a student's test results, etc.

Formulas can refer to other cells on the same worksheet, cells on other sheets in the same workbook, or cells on sheets in other workbooks. In addition, if you change the data in your spreadsheet, Excel will automatically recalculate the answer without you having to re-enter the formula.

A basic formula format will start with an equals sign (=) followed by one or more operands, separated by one or more operators. Operands can be values, text, cell references, ranges, defined names, or function names. Operators are symbols used to represent the various arithmetic and comparison operations you can perform on the operands.

In Microsoft Excel 2007, operators are executed in this order:

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[seema]

To enter a formula

Place the cursor in the cell where the formula will appear, i.e.E5. Enter an = sign. All Excel formulas start with the ‘equal’ sign. Enter the expression that will produce the result you want. This can consist of operands, values, variables, and symbols which represent mathematical procedures such as + or – to add and subtract, e.g. A5+C5. When the formula is complete, press Enter. The result of the formula will be calculated and displayed in the cell E5. You can see the formula in the Formula bar at the top of the screen by placing the cell pointer on the cell E5. If there is an error in a formula, an error message is displayed which will begin with a # sign.

[seema]

To know the formula error messages

When writing formulas it is easy to make a mistake. Here are some common mistakes: To enter a cell or range reference by pointing Place the cursor in the cell where the formula will appear. Enter the formula up to the point of the cell or range reference, e.g. to enter the formula =E2+E5, only enter the = sign. Using the arrow keys, move the cell pointer to the first cell reference, in this case E2. The formula will track your progress and enter the current address into the formula. Enter the operand, + sign. Using the arrow keys, move the cell pointer to the second cell reference, in this case E5. If you are calculating a range of cells, hold down the Shift key while using the arrow keys to move to the intended cells. Press Enter to complete the formula when you have reached the cell you require.