Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool that you can use to organize, analyze, and predict data. But Excel’s true power lies in its formulas and functions. Formulas are used to perform calculations on data, and functions are used to return information based on that data. In this article, we’ll give you a crash course in Excel formulas and functions so you can start using them in your own work and expert in excel.
Excel Formula Basics
A formula is a set of instructions that tells Excel what calculation to perform on a given set of data. All formulas must begin with an equal sign (=). For example, the formula =2+2 tells Excel to add the numbers 2 and 2 together.
You can use both numbers and cell references in your formulas. A cell reference is the address of a specific cell in your worksheet (for example, A1 or B5). You can use cell references to make your formulas more flexible; for instance, if you enter the formula =A1+A2 into cells A3 through A10, the result of the calculation will change depending on the values entered into cells A1 and A2.
You can also use cell references to refer to entire ranges of cells rather than just individual cells. For example, if you enter the formula =SUM(A1:A5) into cell A6, Excel will add together all of the values in cells A1 through A5.
There are many different kinds of formulas that you can use in Excel, but some of the most common are mathematical formulas (like the one in the example above), financial formulas, logical formulas, and text functions.
Excel Function Basics
Functions are similar to formulas in that they perform calculations on data; however, unlike formulas, functions always return a result. That result could be a number, text string, date, or even another formula.
Just like with formulas, you can use both numbers and cell references as inputs for your function. For instance, if you enter the function =COUNTIF(A1:A5,”>=5″) into cell A6, Excel will count how many values in cells A1 through A5 are greater than or equal to 5. The result of this function will be a number between 0 and 5—0 if there are no values greater than or equal to 5 in the range specified (cells A1 through A5), or 5 if all values in the range are greater than or equal to 5.
Conclusion: Formulas and functions are some of the most powerful tools available in Microsoft Excel. By using these tools correctly, you can save yourself hours of time and make your spreadsheet work more efficiently. In this article, we’ve just scratched the surface of what’s possible with Excel formulas and functions. If you want to learn more about how to use these tools effectively, check out our other articles on the subject!