WEBVTT
Kind: captions
Language: en

00:00:10.820 --> 00:00:16.230
Remember using formulas to calculate math
problems in school, like 2 plus 2 equals 4,

00:00:16.230 --> 00:00:19.910
or 2 pizzas times $10 equals $20?

00:00:19.910 --> 00:00:23.870
Excel can use these same formulas to work
with numerical data in your spreadsheets,

00:00:23.870 --> 00:00:25.990
just like a calculator.

00:00:25.990 --> 00:00:30.980
Excel uses standard operators for its math
equations, like a plus sign for addition,

00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:37.230
a minus sign for subtraction, an asterisk
for multiplication, a forward slash for division,

00:00:37.230 --> 00:00:39.850
and a caret for exponents.

00:00:39.850 --> 00:00:46.670
You're probably used to seeing equations like
5+5=, but in Excel, the equal sign comes first.

00:00:46.670 --> 00:00:53.520
This is because the cell itself contains,
or is equal to, the formula and its value.

00:00:53.520 --> 00:00:57.570
Let's create a simple formula to add up the
budgets for June and July.

00:00:57.570 --> 00:01:03.949
I've already typed in those values, and the
total is going to be $1200 plus $1500.

00:01:03.949 --> 00:01:08.710
But instead of typing those numbers, we're
going to use cell references.

00:01:08.710 --> 00:01:12.580
Start by clicking on the cell where you want
the total to appear, and then type an equal

00:01:12.580 --> 00:01:15.140
sign, which is how you'll always start a formula.

00:01:15.140 --> 00:01:21.360
Then, type the address of the first cell you
want to add, which is B2, plus the second

00:01:21.360 --> 00:01:23.830
cell, B3.

00:01:23.830 --> 00:01:29.310
When you're done, press Enter on your keyboard,
and Excel displays the value in the cell.

00:01:29.310 --> 00:01:33.820
Now you may be wondering why we used cell
references instead of numbers.

00:01:33.820 --> 00:01:37.750
The main reason is that if you ever change
the values in these cells, you won't have

00:01:37.750 --> 00:01:43.680
to re-type the formula; Excel will automatically
recalculate the answer so it stays up-to-date.

00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:48.460
You should generally use cell references in
your formulas whenever you can.

00:01:48.460 --> 00:01:52.550
To edit your formula, you can double-click
the cell.

00:01:52.550 --> 00:01:56.439
If you make a mistake or change your mind,
you can press Escape on your keyboard, and

00:01:56.439 --> 00:01:59.490
it will go back to the way it was.

00:01:59.490 --> 00:02:03.090
Let's try another example, this time with
multiplication.

00:02:03.090 --> 00:02:07.820
I want to calculate the total price for the
plastic silverware, so I'll need to multiply

00:02:07.820 --> 00:02:11.340
cell E4 by F4.

00:02:11.340 --> 00:02:16.870
The formula is going in cell G4, so I'll click
there and type an equal sign.

00:02:16.870 --> 00:02:20.790
This time, instead of typing the cell references,
I'm going to use something called the point

00:02:20.790 --> 00:02:22.390
and click method.

00:02:22.390 --> 00:02:25.890
You may find that this is easier than typing
them.

00:02:25.890 --> 00:02:29.230
Press the Enter key, and it calculates the
answer.

00:02:29.230 --> 00:02:34.730
Finally, I want to show you a quick way to
add a formula to several cells at once.

00:02:34.730 --> 00:02:39.500
Instead of typing formulas for each of these
three cells, you can select the first one,

00:02:39.500 --> 00:02:44.580
and then locate the fill handle in the lower-right
corner of the cell.

00:02:44.580 --> 00:02:49.010
Click and drag the fill handle down, and when
you release the mouse it will automatically

00:02:49.010 --> 00:02:51.070
enter the formula into these cells.

00:02:51.070 --> 00:02:54.580
Now, we can see the total cost of each item.

00:02:54.580 --> 00:02:59.600
This is a great shortcut to use when you want
to have similar formulas on each row.

00:02:59.600 --> 00:03:03.260
Once you're comfortable creating formulas,
you'll use them all the time because they

00:03:03.260 --> 00:03:06.890
really are one of the most powerful and convenient
features of Excel.