Working with Cells

1. copy and paste cell

contents
2. cut and paste cell contents
3. drag and drop information
4. use the fill handle to fill
cells
 1. copy and paste cell contents
• Select the cell or cells you wish to copy.
• Click the Copy command in the Clipboard
group on the Home tab. The border of the
selected cells will change appearance.
• Select the cell or cells where you want to
paste the information.
• Click the Paste command. The copied
information will now appear in the new cells.
 2. cut and paste cell contents
• Select the cell or cells you wish to cut.
• Click the Cut command in the Clipboard group
on the Home tab. The border of the selected
cells will change appearance.
• Select the cell or cells where you want to
paste the information.
• Click the Paste command. The cut information
will be removed from the original cells and
now appear in the new cells.
 3. drag and drop information
• Select the cell or cells you wish to move.
• Position your mouse pointer near one of the
outside edges of the selected cells. The mouse
pointer changes from a large, white cross to a
black cross with four arrows.
• Left-click, then hold the mouse button and
drag the cells to the new location.
• Release the mouse button, and the
information appears in the new location.
 4. use the fill handle to fill cells
• Position your cursor over the fill handle until
the large white cross becomes a thin, black
cross.
• Left-click your mouse, then drag it until all of
the cells you want to fill are highlighted.
• Release the mouse button, and all of the
selected cells are filled with the information
from the original cell.
Formatting Text
1. format text in bold or italics
2. format text as underlined
3. change the font style
4. change the font size
5. change the text color
6. add a border
7. add a fill color
8. format numbers and dates
1. format text in bold or italics

• Left-click a cell
to select it, or
drag your cursor
over the text in
the formula bar
to select it.
• Click the Bold or
Italics command
2. format text as underlined
• Select the cell or
cells you want to
format.
• Click the drop-
down arrow next
to the Underline
command.
• Select the Single
Underline or
Double Underline
option
 3. change the font style
• Select the cell or
cells you want to
format.
• Left-click the
drop-down arrow
next to the Font
Style box on the
Home tab.
• Select a font style
from the list.
 4. change the font size

• Select the cell or

cells you want to
format.
• Left-click the
drop-down
arrow next to the
Font Size box on
the Home tab.
• Select a font size
from the list
 5. change the text color

• Select the cell or

cells you want to
format.
• Left-click the drop-
down arrow next
to the Text Color
command. A color
palette will appear.
• Select a color from
the palette.
 6. Add a border

• Select the cell or cells you

want to format.
• Click the drop-down
arrow next to the Borders
command on the Home
tab. A menu will appear
with border options
• Left-click an option from
the list to select it.
 7. add a fill color

• Select the cell or

cells you want to
format.
• Click the Fill
command. A color
palette will appear.
• Select a color.
 8. format numbers and dates

• Select the cell or cells

you want to format.
• Left-click the drop-
down arrow next to
the Number Format
box.
• Select one of the By default, the
options for formatting numbers
appear in the
numbers General
category, which
means there is
no special
 Formula
• A formula is an equation that performs a
calculation using values in the
worksheet.
– Excel can be used to calculate and
analyze numerical information;
however, you will need to know how
to write formulas to maximize Excel's
capabilities.
– In creating simple formulas we use
mathematical operators such as the
addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division signs
 Creating Simple Formulas
• create a simple formula that adds two numbers
• create a simple formula that adds the contents
of two cells
• create a simple formula using the point-and-click
method
• create a simple formula that multiplies the
contents of two cells
• create a simple formula that divides one cell by
another
• Using cell references
 create a simple formula that
adds two numbers
• Click the cell where the formula will be defined
(C5, for example).
• Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a
formula is being defined.
• Type the first number to be added (e.g., 1500).
• Type the addition sign (+) to let Excel know that
an add operation is to be performed.
• Type the second number to be added (e.g., 200).
• Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the
Formula bar to complete the formula
create a simple formula that adds the
contents of two cells
• Click the cell where the answer will appear (C5, for
example).
• Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is
being defined.
• Type the cell number that contains the first number to
be added (C3, for example).
• Type the addition sign (+) to let Excel know that an add
operation is to be performed.
• Type the cell address that contains the second number
to be added (C4, for example).
• Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the Formula
bar to complete the formula.
 create a simple formula using the
point-and-click method
• Click the cell where the answer will appear (C30, for
example).
• Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is
being defined.
• Click on the first cell to be included in the formula (C5,
for example).
• Type the subtraction sign (-) to let Excel know that a
subtraction operation is to be performed.
• Click on the next cell in the formula (C29, for example).
• Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the Formula
bar to complete the formula
 create a simple formula that
multiplies the contents of two cells
• Select the cell where the answer will appear (E32, for
example).
• Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is being
defined.
• Click on the first cell to be included in the formula (C9, for
example), or type a number.
• Type the multiplication symbol (*) by pressing the Shift key
and then the number 8 key. The operator displays in the cell
and Formula bar.
• Click on the next cell in the formula or type a number (12, for
example).
• Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the Formula bar to
complete the formula.
 create a simple formula that divides
one cell by another
• Click the cell where the answer will appear.
• Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a
formula is being defined.
• Click on the first cell to be included in the
formula.
• Type a division symbol. The operator displays in
the cell and Formula bar.
• Click on the next cell in the formula.
• Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the
Formula bar to complete the formula.
 Using cell references
• In Excel you can enters the cell address into
the formula rather than an actual number.
The cell address is basically the name of the
cell and can be found in the Name Box.
• When a cell address is used as part of a
formula, this is called a cell reference.
• It is called a cell reference because instead of
entering specific numbers into a formula, the
cell address refers to a specific cell.
 Creating Complex Formulas
• Click the cell where you want the formula result
to appear. In this example, H6.
• Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a
formula is being defined.
• Type an open parenthesis, or (.
• Click on the first cell to be included in the formula
(G6, for example).
• Type the addition sign (+) to let Excel know that
an add operation is to be performed.
• Click on the second cell in the formula (G7, for
example).
• Type a closed parentheses ).
• Type the next mathematical operator, or the
division symbol (/), to let Excel know a division
operation is to be performed.
• Type an open parenthesis, or (.
• Click on the third cell to be included in the
formula (D6, for example).
• Type the addition sign (+) to let Excel know
that an add operation is to be performed.
• Click on the fourth cell to be included in
formula (D7, for example).
• Type a closed parentheses ).
Relative and Absolute reference
• In cell references when the formula
is pasted into different cells it
automatically adjust to new
locations This is called a relative
reference.
• Sometimes when you copy and paste a
formula, you don't want one or more cell
references to change. An absolute reference
solves this problem.

• Absolute cell references in a formula always

refer to the same cell or cell range in a
formula. If a formula is copied to a different
location, the absolute reference remains the
same.

• An absolute reference is designated in the

formula by the addition of a dollar sign ($). It
can precede the column reference or the row
reference, or both
 To create an absolute reference
• Select the cell where you wish to write the formula (in
this example, H2).
• Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is
being defined.
• Click on the first cell to be included in the formula (F2,
for example).
• Enter a mathematical operator (use the multiplication
symbol for this example).
• Click on the second cell in the formula (C2, for
example).
• Add a $ sign before the C and a $ sign before the 2 to
create an absolute reference.
Copy the formula into H3. The new formula should read
=F3*$C$2. The F2 reference changed to F3 because it is a
relative reference, but C2 remained constant because you
created an absolute reference by inserting the dollar signs.