This lab introduces you to writing formulas and using functions
in Microsoft Excel. You will use Excel to create a spreadsheet that will calculate your current grade to date for this class. For an introduction to Excel and to spreadsheets in general, read
Chapter 13.
In this lab, you will create a handy spreadsheet to track your current standing in this course. As you progress through the course, you will be able to look up your grades on MyUW and enter your scores on the spreadsheet you create in this lab.
Depending on the operating system and how you choose to access the program, look for Excel under "Programs" or "All Programs". Find it in the "Microsoft Office" folder.
If Excel did not open a new spreadsheet for you, click on the "Create a New Microsoft Office Document" and then choose the "Blank Workbook" option.
Microsoft Excel 2007 (Older versions will look slightly different)
A spreadsheet is a table that stores data and calculations. Each "box" in the spreadsheet is a cell. The cells are each in a row and a column. As you can see from the new spreadsheet that you created, the rows are numbered (1,2,3,...). The columns are lettered, (A,B,C,...). We can refer to a cell by its column letter and row number. For example, the cell in the upper most left-hand corner of the spreadsheet is A1.
While sometimes spreadsheets are used as makeshift databases, do not confuse them with actual databases. A spreadsheet is a very powerful tool with many uses, but it is not a database in the traditional meaning of the word and is not to be confused with actual database applications (e.g. Microsoft Access).
Open the Lab 10 Quiz and answer questions 1-3. It's easiest if you keep the quiz open while completing this lab. Toggle back and forth between quiz, instructions, and spreadsheet with Alt-Tab.