GVSU | CIS 150 | Excel Help

Excel Help

Extra resources to help you learn Excel

All of the skills below are demonstrated and practiced during lab time. If you need a review or missed the lecture(s), use these resources.

Absolute vs Relative

By default, when a formula in a cell is copied across multiple cells, the formula adjusts based on the relative location of the cell being copied. A formula with an absolute reference will remain constant, regardless of where the formula is copied.

Relative references change
Absolute references remain constant (add dollar signs next to the cell reference you want to remain constant; F4 key is a quick way to do this)

Goal Seek

If you know the result you want a formula to produce, use goal seeking to determine the value of a cell on which the formula depends.

Start by selecting the cell that contains the result that you want to set to a given goal value (the cell will contain a formula). Next, click the Data tab and then What-If Analysis > Goal Seek.
Since you already selected the cell, the Set cell field in the Goal Seek dialog box is done.
Click in the To value field and enter goal value that you want to obtain (just type whatever number that may be).
Click the By changing cell field and then click the cell in the worksheet that contains the variable that you want to change to reach your goal.
Click OK to accept the new number or Cancel.

IF Function

This function will make calculations that differ depending on whether or not a particular condition or set of conditions are met. The IF function consists of three parts: (1) the logical test, (2) value to be entered if true, (3) value to be entered if false.

During lab time, we practiced using the Insert Function dialog box. This video demonstrates the IF function by manually typing the formula. However, the end results and how the function works are the same.

VLOOKUP