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Spreadsheet Terminology

This page gives you a quick overview of some of the terminology. Consider bookmarking this page for quick future reference.

The tutorial pages include an embedded spreadsheet for you to practice on. Clicking the icon on the bottom right will open the full version of Excel online in a new tab.

Cells

The rectangles containing the data are called cells. You can type directly into them. In the Excel app, you can also edit a cell's information by clicking it and then typing into the formula bar at the top above it.

Cell References

We reference a cell using the letters across the top and the numbers down the left side.

For example, the cell shaded yellow in the spreadsheet has reference C5.

Try this…

You will add a reference to the data in cell C5.

  1. Click on cell A1
  2. Type: =C5
  3. Press enter

Hello World should now appear in cell A1.

Instead of typing the reference, you can select the cell with your mouse. This is much easier, especially when you're using multiple sheets.

  1. Now click back onto C5
  2. Double-click it to edit it
  3. Type: Well done! and press enter

You should see the data in A1 has now also changed.

Relative and Absolute References

As you edit your spreadsheet, some rows or columns may move. Excel is smart enough to update your references. These are called relative references.

However, sometimes we do not want it to do this. Absolute references stay locked to a specific cell reference.

A dollar symbol means a reference is absolute. For example:

  • $A$5 - both horizontal and vertical references are absolute
  • $A5 - only the horizontal reference is absolute
  • A$5 - only the vertical reference is absolute

    • Sheets

    Your spreadsheet document can have many different pages, called sheets. These are independent of each other, but we can reference cells on other sheets.

    To swap between sheets, click the tabs at the bottom of the sheet. On the Excel app, you can rename the sheets by double-clicking on them. This is a good idea, as it will help you to separate different parts of your project and make it more user-friendly.

    Try this…

    On Sheet1, you will add a reference to data in cells on Sheet2 and Sheet3.

    1. Click on cell A2
    2. Type: = (but do not press enter yet!)
    3. Click: Sheet2
    4. Click: B3 (the cell with "biscuit" in it)
    5. Press enter
    6. You should be returned to Sheet1, with the referenced data showing in A2.
    7. Click on B4 and repeat for "Sandwich" on Sheet3
    ▲︎
    Basic Spreadsheet Formula ▶︎