CHE 412 Module 1: Introduction to Excel

Vocabulary flashcards generated from Module 1 lecture notes covering MS Excel history, navigation, formulas, references, error codes, and key features.

Workbook

A file in Excel that contains one or more worksheets. It is the primary document you work with and save.

Worksheet

A single spreadsheet within a workbook, consisting of a grid of cells organized into rows and columns where you enter and manipulate data.

Cell

The intersection of a row and a column in a worksheet, identified by a unique address such as A1 or B2.

Active Cell

The currently selected cell in a worksheet, indicated by a border around it.

Ribbon

The toolbar at the top of the Excel window that organizes commands into tabs such as Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, and View.

Formula Bar

The area located just below the Ribbon that shows the contents of the currently selected cell, including formulas and functions, and allows cell content editing.

Name Box

An element located to the left of the Formula Bar that displays the address of the active cell or the name of a selected range.

Quick Access Toolbar

A customizable toolbar located at the top-left corner of the Excel window providing quick access to frequently used commands like Save, Undo, and Redo.

Relative Reference

A cell reference in a formula that adjusts when copied to another cell, such as =A1 + B1 changing to =A2 + B2 when copied down one row.

Absolute Reference

A cell reference that does not change when copied, created by using dollar signs ($), such as $A$1 + B1.

Mixed Reference

A cell reference combining absolute and relative references, such as A$1 + $B2, keeping one row or column fixed while allowing the other to adjust.

DIV/0!

An Excel error code that occurs when a formula attempts to divide by zero.

VALUE!

An Excel error code that occurs when a formula has the wrong type of argument or operand.

REF!

An Excel error code that occurs when a cell reference in a formula is not valid.

NAME?

An Excel error code that occurs when Excel does not recognize text in a formula, often due to a misspelled function name.

Conditional Formatting

A feature that lets users format cells based on specific conditions or rules to highlight important data or trends.

Freeze Panes

A feature that keeps specific rows or columns visible while scrolling through the rest of the worksheet.

AutoFill

A feature that automatically fills cells with data based on a pattern or series using the fill handle.

Data Validation

A feature that restricts the type of data or values that can be entered into a cell to maintain data integrity and consistency.

Pivot Table

A powerful tool for dynamically reorganizing, summarizing, analyzing, and presenting data to extract meaningful insights.

Pivot Area

The regions in a PivotTable that define how data is organized and displayed, including the Row Area, Column Area, Values Area, and Filter Area.

Source Data

The original range of cells or table containing the information used to create a PivotTable or PivotChart.

Lotus 1-2-3

The dominant spreadsheet application at the time Microsoft Excel was first released for the Apple Macintosh in 1985.

Flash Fill

A feature introduced in Excel 2013 that automatically fills in data based on identified patterns.

Formula AutoComplete

A feature that provides a list of matching functions as you type a formula, allowing selection using arrow keys and insertion using the Tab key.