2.1 Excel Basics

What is a spreadsheet?

An electronic grid of rows and columns used for text, numbers and formulae.

What is a workbook?

The whole Excel file. Think of it as a container or binder.

What is a worksheet?

One spreadsheet or page inside a workbook.

What is the difference between a workbook and a worksheet?

A workbook is the entire file, while a worksheet is one page inside that file.

How are columns and rows arranged and labelled?

Columns are vertical and labelled with letters.

Rows are horizontal and labelled with numbers.

What is a cell?

The point where a column and a row meet.

What is a cell address?

The reference identifying a cell, written with the column letter first and the row number second, e.g. B4.

What is the address of the top-left cell in a worksheet?

A1.

What is a range?

A group of cells.

What does the colon (:) mean in a cell range?

It means “through to”.

What does E3:E11 mean?

The range from cell E3 through to cell E11.

What are the four regions of the Excel window?

Title

Menu

Toolbar

Spreadsheet area

What does the Title region display?

The filename.

What does the Menu region contain?

Menus such as File, Edit, View and Data.

What is the purpose of the Toolbar?

It contains icons used for formatting and calculations.

What is the Spreadsheet area?

The grid containing the rows, columns and cells.

What does the white arrow pointer indicate?

Navigation across the window.

What does the large white plus pointer indicate?

When positioned over a cell, it allows you to select one or more cells.

What does the black arrow pointer indicate?

When positioned over a column letter or row number, it allows you to select the entire column or row.

What does the four-way arrow pointer indicate?

When positioned on the edge of a cell, it allows you to click and drag content to a new location.

What does the tiny black plus represent?

The Fill Handle, used for AutoFill.