Specify the type of calculation that you want to perform on the elements of a formula

An Excel file that contains one or more worksheets

Another name for a worksheet

The intersection of a column and a row

The labels along the lower border of the Excel window that identify each worksheet

A vertical group of cells in a worksheet

A horizontal group of cells in a worksheet

Anything typed into a cell

Text or numbers in a cell

Numbers, text, dates, or times of day that you type into a cell

An equation that performs mathematical calculations on values in a worksheet

Constant values consisting of only numbers

Another name for a cell reference

Another name for a constant value

The small black square in the lower right corner of a selected cell

The graphic representation of data in a worksheet

On startup, Excel displays a new blank _____

An element in the Excel window that displays the value or formula contained in the active cell is the _____

An element of the Excel window that displays the name of the selected cell, table, chart, or object is the _____

A box in the upper left corner of the worksheet grid that selects all the cells in a worksheet is the _____

A cell surrounded by a black border and ready to receive data is the _____

The Excel feature that generates and extends values into adjacent cells based on the values of selected cells is _____

The default format that Excel applies to numbers is the _____

The data that displays in the Formula Bar is referred to as the _____

The type of cell reference that refers to cells by their fixed position in a worksheet is _____

Tiny charts embedded in a cell that give a visual trend summary alongside your data are _____

An Excel feature that adjusts the width of a column to fit the cell content of the widest cell in the column is _____

The symbols with which you can specify the type of calculation you want to perform in an Excel formula are _____

A feature that displays in the lower right corner of a selected range with which you can analyze your data by using Excel tools such as charts, color-coding, and formulas is called _____

The area along the bottom of a chart that identifies the categories of data is the _____

A feature that outlines cells in color to indicate which cells are used in a formula is called _____

Lesson 5: Functions

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Introduction

A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values in a particular order. All spreadsheet programs include common functions that can be used for quickly finding the sum, average, count, maximum value, and minimum value for a range of cells. In order to use functions correctly, you'll need to understand the different parts of a function and how to create arguments to calculate values and cell references.

Watch the video below to learn more about using functions in Excel.

The parts of a function

In order to work correctly, a function must be written a specific way, which is called the syntax. The basic syntax for a function is an equals sign (=), the function name (SUM, for example), and one or more arguments. Arguments contain the information you want to calculate. The function in the example below would add the values of the cell range A1:A20.

Working with arguments

Arguments can refer to both individual cells and cell ranges and must be enclosed within parentheses. You can include one argument or multiple arguments, depending on the syntax required for the function.

For example, the function =AVERAGE(B1:B9) would calculate the average of the values in the cell range B1:B9. This function contains only one argument.

Multiple arguments must be separated by a comma. For example, the function =SUM(A1:A3, C1:C2, E2) will add the values of all cells in the three arguments.

Using functions

There are a variety of functions. Here are some of the most common functions you'll use:

• SUM: This function adds all the values of the cells in the argument.
• AVERAGE: This function determines the average of the values included in the argument. It calculates the sum of the cells and then divides that value by the number of cells in the argument.
• COUNT: This function counts the number of cells with numerical data in the argument. This function is useful for quickly counting items in a cell range.
• MAX: This function determines the highest cell value included in the argument.
• MIN: This function determines the lowest cell value included in the argument.

To use a function:

In our example below, we'll use a basic function to calculate the average price per unit for a list of recently ordered items using the AVERAGE function.

1. Select the cell that will contain the function. In our example, we'll select cell C11.
   

2. Type the equals sign (=) and enter the desired function name. In our example, we'll type =AVERAGE.
   

3. Enter the cell range for the argument inside parentheses. In our example, we'll type (C3:C10). This formula will add the values of cells C3:C10 and then divide that value by the total number of cells in the range to determine the average.
   

4. Press Enter on your keyboard. The function will be calculated, and the result will appear in the cell. In our example, the average price per unit of items ordered was $15.93.
   

Your spreadsheet will not always tell you if your function contains an error, so it's up to you to check all of your functions. To learn how to do this, check out the Double-Check Your Formulas lesson.

Working with unfamiliar functions

If you want to learn how a function works, you can start typing that function in a blank cell to see what it does.

You can then type an open parenthesis to see what kind of arguments it needs.

Understanding nested functions

Whenever a formula contains a function, the function is generally calculated before any other operators, like multiplication and division. That's because the formula treats the entire function as a single value—before it can use that value in the formula, it needs to run the function. For example, in the formula below, the SUM function will be calculated before division:

Let's take a look at a more complicated example that uses multiple functions:

=WORKDAY(TODAY(),3)

Here, we have two different functions working together: the WORKDAY function and the TODAY function. These are known as nested functions, since one function is placed, or nested, within the arguments of another. As a rule, the nested function is always calculated first, just like parentheses are performed first in the order of operations. In this example, the TODAY function will be calculated first, since it's nested within the WORKDAY function.

Other common functions

There are many other functions you can use to quickly calculate different things with your data. Learning how to use other functions will allow you to solve complex problems with your spreadsheets, and we'll be talking more about them throughout this tutorial. You can also check out our articles below to learn about specific functions:

• How to Use Excel's VLOOKUP Function
• How to Count Cells with COUNTA
• Use SUMPRODUCT to Calculate Weighted Averages
• CONCATENATE: Excel's Duct Tape
• Use the PROPER Function to Capitalize Names in Excel

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What specify the type of operation you want to perform?

Which are specific values used in particular order to perform calculations in functions?

Are used to perform calculation?

Are special symbols that are used to perform calculations?