Spreadsheets and formulas — Computing, 7–10
A spreadsheet organises information in a grid and can calculate with it. A formula means you can change an input and let the computer update the answer instead of doing every sum again.
A grid that calculates
A spreadsheet is a grid of cells, like a table whose squares can hold words or numbers. You can put a formula in one cell to calculate from other cells. If a number changes, the formula can show the new answer at once, while the table keeps the information organised.
Why formulas help
People often need to total many changing numbers: prices, scores, rainfall or survey answers. Recalculating each total by hand takes time and can introduce mistakes. Spreadsheets solve this problem by storing the rule for the calculation, so one change can update many results consistently.
Adding three prices
Put 2 in cell B2 for bread, 3 in B3 for fruit and 5 in B4 for milk. In B5, write the formula =B2+B3+B4. The spreadsheet calculates 2 + 3 + 5 = 10. If the fruit price changes from 3 to 4, B5 changes to 11 without you rewriting the formula.
The answer is not the rule
It is reasonable to type 10 into the total cell because 10 is the answer you can see. But that stores only today’s answer, not how to calculate it. If a price changes, the 10 stays wrong. Write a formula using the cells, so the spreadsheet knows which values belong in the total.
Tables for real decisions
People use spreadsheets to plan a shopping budget, record sports scores, compare energy use and count answers in a class survey. A graph made from the table can reveal a pattern, such as one month being much wetter. The result is useful only if the entered data and formulas are correct.
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