Lessons Lesson 1

Cells and Your First Formula

About this lesson

Every cell has an address: its column letter and its row number. B4 is column B, row 4.

By the end you can

  • read any cell's address from its column letter and row number.
  • write a formula that points at a cell, so it updates when the cell does.
  • point the same formula at a different row.

By Ali, Founder, Excel Lessons

The idea

A formula starts with an equals sign. After it, you can type a number. But the useful thing is to type a cell address instead. =B2 means "show what is in B2". You can do maths with addresses. A star (*) multiplies, a slash (/) divides, plus adds and minus subtracts. Excel multiplies before it adds.

The most common first-day mistake is typing the number you can see, not the address of its cell. Today =4.5 and =B2 show the same thing. Next month the price changes. Only =B2 is still right. That is the whole reason spreadsheets exist.

The mistake to watch for

People type the number they can see instead of the cell address. It looks right today. When the price changes, the number is wrong, and nothing shows you which cells were typed by hand. Always start with an equals sign and a cell address. Then the cell updates by itself.

Read more about this

This lesson needs JavaScript to run. Everything below is the lesson in full, but you cannot type into the grid or be marked.

Click a cell

Every cell has an address: column letter, then row number. B4 is column B, row 4.

Click B4.

A1
Part
Row A B C D E F G
1 Part Price In stock
2 Inner tube 4.5 26 Chain price
3 Brake pad 12 8
4 Chain 24.99 5 Chain stock value
5 Saddle 38.5 3 Saddle stock value
6
7
8

Every step

  1. 1

    Every cell has an address: column letter, then row number. B4 is column B, row 4. Click B4.

    Hint. Column B is the second column. Count down to row 4.

  2. 2

    A formula starts with an equals sign. The simplest formula points at one cell. In E2, type: =B4. E2 now shows what is in B4.

    Hint. Equals sign, B, 4.

  3. 3

    C4 is column C, row 4. Read =C4 and say what it returns.

    Hint. Column C, row 4.

  4. 4

    A star (*) multiplies. The chain is row 4. In E4, type: =B4*C4. That is its price times its stock.

    Hint. B4, an asterisk, C4.

  5. 5

    The saddle is row 5. In E5, multiply its price by its stock count. Shape: =price*stock.

    Hint. Row 5 this time.

  6. 6

    The chain price goes up, so B4 now holds 30. E2 still holds =B4. Say what E2 shows now.

    Hint. Read the new B4.