Perhaps the best way to learn what spreadsheets can do is to
see examples of how spreadsheets are used.
Let's start with math operations. You may recall learning
the order of operations for solving math problems with
parenthesis, multiplication, and addition.
Spreadsheets perform math operations.
In the animation below, we see a number fall into a "machine"
that performs, first operation "A", and then operation "B".
You may notice that operation "A" adds 2,
and operation "B" multiplies by 5.
Let's use a spreadsheet to perform the operations shown in
the above animation:
We start by putting the numbers we want to calculate into
the first column (Column A).
Put the mouse over the cell, A1, and click.
Cell A1 will now have a black border, to show you which
cell you selected.
Type 2, the number you want to put into the cell.
Move the mouse to cell A2, and click. This does two things
at once.
It tells the computer to put what you typed into the cell.
It makes A2 the selected cell, and you are ready to type
in 5.
Go to the cell, B1, and write "+A1+2" which tells
the computer, "add 2 to the contents of cell A1".
If we had written "A1+2", the computer would not have known
to perform a math operation. It would have changed the
cell to read "A1+2".
Hit return to put what you typed in the cell.
The output 4 (A1 + 2 = 4) appears in A2.
Place the mouse on B1, click to highlight B1.
Go up to "Edit" in the top row, and click to get the pull
down menu. Hold the mouse button down (if you let go you lose
the pull down menu).
Drag the mouse down to "Copy" and then let go. This copies
the formula in B1 into the computer memory. You will see
the flashing dashed lines after you've copied the cell
contents.
Click on B2 and hold down the mouse button.
Drag the mouse down to B5.
Now B2 through B5 are highlighted.
Go up to Edit, click and hold down, and then select
"Paste". This puts equivalents of B1 (+A1+2) into the
boxes B2, B3, B4, and B5.
Recall that the formula for B2, which you copied was "+A2 + 2"
If you click on the boxes B1 through B5, you will see the
following formulas appear in the above window:
B1, +A1+2
B2, +A2+2
B3, +A3+2
B4, +A4+2
B5, +A5+2
If we had copied horizontally, that is, from B1 into C1, D1, E1,
and F1, the formulas would be the following:
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