Chapter 3
Formulas and Functions for Crunching Numbers
IN THIS CHAPTER
Constructing a formula
Copying formulas to other columns and rows
Preventing errors in formulas
Using functions in formulas
Formulas are where it’s at as far as Excel is concerned. After you know how to construct formulas and find constructing them to be pretty easy, you can put Excel to work. You can make the numbers speak to you. You can turn a bunch of unruly numbers into meaningful figures and statistics.
This chapter explains what a formula is, how to enter a formula, and how to enter a formula quickly. You also discover how to copy formulas from cell to cell and how to keep formula errors from creeping into your workbooks. Finally, this chapter explains how to make use of the hundred or so functions that Excel offers.
How Formulas Work
A formula, as you may recall from the sleepy hours you spent in math class, is a way to calculate numbers. For example, 2+3=5 is a formula. When you enter a formula in a cell, Excel computes the formula and displays its results in the cell. Click in cell A3 and enter
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