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Excel 2010 Formulas

Excel 2010 using simple Formulas

Excel 2010 Formulas

Excel can be used to calculate numerical information. In this lesson you will learn how to create simple formulas in Excel to add, subtract, multiply, and divide values in a workbook. Also, you will learn the various ways you can use cell references to make working with formulas easier and more efficient.

A formula is an equation that performs a calculation. Like a calculator, Excel can execute formulas that add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

One of the most useful features of Excel is its ability to calculate using a cell address to represent the value in a cell. This is called using a cell reference.

In order to maximize the capabilities of Excel, it is important to understand how to create simple formulas and use cell references.

Excel uses standard operators for equations, such as a plus sign for addition (+), a minus sign for subtraction (-), an asterisk for multiplication (*), a forward slash for division (/), and a caret (^) for exponents.

The key thing to remember when writing formulas for Excel is that all formulas must begin with an equal sign (=). This is because the cell contains, or is equal to, the formula and its value.

To Create a Simple Formula in Excel

Select the cell where the answer will appear (B4, for example).

Selecting cell B4
Type the equal sign (=).
Type in the formula you want Excel to calculate. For example, "75/250".

Entering formula in B4
Press Enter. The formula will be calculated and the value will be displayed in the cell.

Result in B4

AutoFit Column Widths and Row Heights in Excel 2010

Changing Column Widths and Row Heights in Excel

There are limits to how big and small you can make columns and rows in Excel. Column widths and row heights with a value of zero are hidden in an Excel worksheet. This is the equivalent to using the hide column or row feature.

Columns can have a maximum width of 255. This number represents the maximum number of characters a column can hold at the standard font size. Changing the font, the font size, and adding other characteristics to the font such as italics and bolding greatly reduce the maximum number of characters a column can hold. The default size of an Excel column is 8.43, which correlates to 64 pixels.

Rows can have a maximum height of 409. This number represents the how many 1/72nds of an inch the row can hold. The default size of an Excel row is 15, which correlates to 20 pixels or about 1/5th of an inch.

Using Excel’s AutoFit Feature

Suppose in your Excel worksheet you have text in the A1 cell that extends beyond the 8.43 (64 pixels) default column width. Notice that although the column’s width cannot contain the length of the text, Excel allows the text to spill over into adjacent columns.

Excel 2010 AutoFit Tutorial

Select Column A, click on the Home tab on the Ribbon, and locate a section of the Ribbon almost all the way to the right labeled Cells. Click on the button titled Format and locate a section of the menu labeled Cell Size. Notice that there are three options for changing the width of a column.

Column Width – This option lets you manually change the width of a column by typing in a number. This option isn’t useful because you can more easily accomplish the same thing by simply dragging the column to your desired size.

AutoFit Column Width – This is the option we want. This option will change the size of the column to a new size depending on the length of the contents of the cell in the column that takes up the most space.

Default Width – This option doesn’t actually change the width of any columns; it simply changes the default width of the columns for a particular worksheet.

On the Format button’s menu, select AutoFit Column Width and notice that the width of Column A has changed to contain the length of the text in the A1 cell.

Using Excel 2010’s AutoFit feature you can automatically change the width of columns and the height of rows in a worksheet to accommodate different sized text without having to manually change the width and height values. A real time saver, the AutoFit feature can also make data in your worksheet easier to access and read.