What Is a Spreadsheet?

Introduction

A spreadsheet is a grid for numbers, text and calculations. People use them for budgets, schedules, grades, shopping lists and business reports. The big idea is that the sheet calculates for you and updates when your numbers change.

You can learn with free tools: Google Sheets in a web browser, LibreOffice Calc on your computer, or Excel if you already have it. The basics in this course work in all of them. Small differences between programs are noted where they matter.

The grid

• A cell is one box. It has an address made from its column letter and row number, such as B3.
• A row runs across, numbered 1, 2, 3...
• A column runs down, lettered A, B, C...
• A range is a block of cells, written with a colon: B2:B9 means B2 down to B9.
• A sheet (tab) is one grid. A file can contain several sheets.

Click a cell and type to enter text or a number. Press Enter to finish.

Your first formula

A formula is a calculation. It always starts with an equals sign =.

Type 10 in cell A1 and 5 in A2. In A3 type:

=A1+A2

A3 shows 15. Now change A1 to 20. A3 updates to 25 by itself. The formula uses cell references (A1 and A2) instead of fixed numbers, so it always follows the cells.

Arithmetic symbols: + add, - subtract, * multiply, / divide, ^ power. Brackets work as in maths, so =(A1+A2)*2 adds first.

Text and numbers

• Numbers are aligned to the right by default and can be calculated.
• Text is aligned to the left. A number typed with extra characters, such as "10 kg", is treated as text and cannot be added.

Keep numbers as plain numbers, and put units in the column heading, such as "Weight (kg)".

A first table

Type this into A1:F3, with the headings in row 1:

Month  Region  Product  Units  Price  Revenue
Jan    N       Pen      10     2.00
Jan    S       Pen      5      2.00

In F2, type =D2*E2. It shows 20. Then copy it down:

The fill handle

When you select a cell, a small square appears at its bottom-right corner. Drag it down, or double-click it, to copy the formula to the cells below. The spreadsheet adjusts the references for each row, so F3 becomes =D3*E3 and shows 10.

This is the spreadsheet superpower: write a formula once, then apply it to hundreds of rows.

Saving and safety

• Save often. Cloud tools such as Google Sheets save automatically.
• Give files clear names, and keep a backup of important ones.
• Be careful what you share. A spreadsheet may contain personal or confidential data, and sharing links give access to whoever has them.

Try it yourself

Make a small budget: list five expenses with amounts in a column, and in a cell below, write a formula that adds them. Change one amount and watch the total update.

Summary

• A spreadsheet is a grid of cells with addresses like B3, and ranges like B2:B9.
• Formulas start with = and use cell references, so results update automatically.
• Use the fill handle to copy a formula down a column, and keep numbers as real numbers.