Workbooks, sheets and cells
Excel is a giant grid of little boxes. Each box has a name, like a seat in a theatre: column letter + row number, like B3. You put numbers and words in the boxes, and Excel can do the math for you.
- A file is a workbook; the tabs at the bottom are worksheets.
- Each box is a cell, named by column letter + row number (e.g. A1, C7).
- One worksheet can hold 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns (Microsoft's official limit).
- Excel is included with Office 365 Education for eligible students with a school email (see course 13.1).
- Open Excel and choose Blank workbook.
- Look at the tabs at the bottom. Each tab is a worksheet. Click the plus to add one.
- Click the box in column A, row 1. It is called cell A1.
- Type a word and press Enter, then type a number in the next row.
- Click different cells and watch the name box show their names, such as C7.
- Save the file with a name you will recognise.
- Check: you can name any cell you click.
Videos by other creators on YouTube, for reference. They are not made by or affiliated with The Future Market.
Read the video script
[Screen: zoom into cell B3] "Column B, row 3: that's B3. Every cell has an address."
[Host] "Over a million rows on one sheet. You'll never run out of space."
Create a workbook with two sheets named "Budget" and "Grades". Type your name in A1 of each.
ClaudeStuck? Copy a ready-made prompt for Claude
Copy this, open Claude, paste it, and Claude will walk you through the lesson step by step.
For a grown-up: Claude is for adults (18+). Copy this, paste it into Claude, and use the answer to explain the lesson to your child.
I'm learning "Microsoft Excel Essentials: Formulas, Charts, Tables" on The Future Market. Lesson 1: "Workbooks, sheets and cells". What the lesson teaches: - A file is a workbook; the tabs at the bottom are worksheets. - Each box is a cell, named by column letter + row number (e.g. A1, C7). - One worksheet can hold 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns (Microsoft's official limit). - Excel is included with Office 365 Education for eligible students with a school email (see course 13.1). The exercise I'm working on: Create a workbook with two sheets named "Budget" and "Grades". Type your name in A1 of each. I'm stuck. Please: 1. Explain the main idea in plain, simple words with one everyday example. 2. Walk me through the exercise one small step at a time. Ask me what I've done so far before giving the next step. 3. Don't just give me the final answer. Help me do it myself, and check my work when I share it.
I'm a parent helping my child (about 8 years old) with a lesson called "Workbooks, sheets and cells" from the course "Microsoft Excel Essentials: Formulas, Charts, Tables". Here's what the lesson says: Excel is a giant grid of little boxes. Each box has a name, like a seat in a theatre: column letter + row number, like B3. You put numbers and words in the boxes, and Excel can do the math for you. The activity: Create a workbook with two sheets named "Budget" and "Grades". Type your name in A1 of each. Please explain this so an 8-year-old understands: short sentences, a fun everyday example, and no hard words. Then give me 3 simple questions I can ask my child to check they understood, and a way to do the activity together, one tiny step at a time.
Sources
- Microsoft Support, Excel specifications and limits: support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/excel-specifications-and-limits
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Final project
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Quiz
What does every formula start with?
=
What is B2:B10?
A range: all cells from B2 to B10.
What does
$A$1mean?An absolute reference that doesn't change when copied.
Formula to show "Pass" if B2 is 50 or more, else "Fail"?
=IF(B2>=50,"Pass","Fail")Which chart for change over time?
Line chart.
How many rows can one Excel worksheet hold?
1,048,576.
Final exam
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Certificate
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