Week 2 - Working with Formulas and Functions (Ch2)

Overview

With its capabilities in mathematical, scientific, engineering, and other calculations, Excel is a valuable tool for business, government, education, and you. You can use Excel to create a simple addition formula or a sophisticated calculation with layers of arithmetic. In this chapter, you learn how to build a basic formula and how to use mathematical rules. You also explore Excel function categories.

We also take a quick look at the original spreadsheet software, VisiCalc. Some even consider this the first "killer app" before that was even a known term.

Objectives

At the end of this week, you will be able to:

• Build and edit basic formulas.
• Set mathematical order of operations in a formula.
• Use absolute, mixed, relative, and 3D references in a formula.
• Use formula auditing tools in a worksheet.
• Work with Statistical and Date & Time functions.
• Work with functions from the Financial, Logical, and Lookup & Reference categories.
• Build functions from the Math & Trig category.
• Explain how spreadsheet software was originally envisioned and created.

Learning Activities

1. Read Excel Ch 2 (SIMBook) in SIMnet.
2. Complete the end-of-chapter questions to check your knowledge (you are not required to submit these).

Assignments

1. In SIMnet, complete Excel Ch 2 SIMBook 'Let Me Try' in-reading tasks.
2. In SIMnet, complete Excel Ch 2 SIMnet Project 1.
3. In SIMnet, complete Excel Ch 2 SIMnet Project 2.
4. In Slack, participate in the #before-excel channel discussion.