Excel allows users to utilize a wide range of mathematical and trigonometric

functions in their worksheets. Let’s see how to use functions in a worksheet using this simple Excel tutorial.

Functions are predefined in MS Excel and we can be utilized easily. Some of the basic mathematical functions are SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, SQRT etc.

Let’s take the SUM function for example. As the name suggests it is used to calculate the sum of values in different cells.

To find the total of the values in cells A1, A2, A3 and A4, you will have to type in =A1+A2+A3+A4 in the formula bar or another cell.

This could become tedious if you are attempting to find the total for many values. The same can be made simple by using the statement: ‘=SUM(A1:A4)’.

The above statement instructs the processor to find the sum of all values from cell A1 to cell A4. This can be extended to any number of values.

Similarly you can use the AVERAGE function to find the average of n values.

SQRT stands for square root and this displays the square root of the value in a cell.

For example let’s consider that the value in A3 is 64, the formula will be ‘=SQRT(A3)’ – so the output returned will be 8.

Similarly, we can use many other mathematical functions and trigonometric functions like sin, cos, tan etc in our worksheet.

This is how we use functions in MS Excel.

In this obvious response to Google Docs ability to share and edit documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, Microsoft is playing catchup with their web-based MS software.

And like Google Docs, in order to use the Microsoft-branded Web Apps, you will need a Microsoft Windows Live account which will allow you to access a limited number of options.

Microsoft Excel Training: Using Personalized Menus

When you first install and start Excel 2003, the menus display only the basic, most commonly used choices. While choosing menu commands, you can readily expand a menu to display all choices. Commands that you select from the expanded menu are automatically added to the personalized or short version of the menu.

If you stop using the command, it will be removed from the short menu.You can reset the short menus to the default choices at any time. Additionally, you can choose to turn off the personalized menus and always display the full set of commands for each menu.

1. If you are not using a newly installed version of Excel, do the following to reset your menus and toolbars:

• Open the Tools menu and select Customize
• Click the Options tab
• If necessary, uncheck all three check boxes under Personalized Menus and Toolbars
• Click Reset my usage data
• Click Yes to answer the warning prompt
• Click Close

2. Open the View menu and click at the bottom of the menu.

3. Select Full Screen.

4. Click Close Full Screen on the Full Screen toolbar.

5. Open the View menu again and leave the mouse pointer on the menu.

6. Note where the Full Screen choice now appears, and note that the menu does not expand after a few seconds.

7. Click at the bottom of the menu to expand it.

8. Move the mouse pointer horizontally through the Menu Bar and note that the other menus are now also expanded.

9. Point to the View menu and select Status Bar. Since this is a toggle, notice that you have either turned the Status Bar on or off at the bottom of the screen depending on how it was last used.

10. Open the View menu and note that Status Bar appears on the short list of choices.

11. Turn the Status Bar back on, if necessary.

To learn more about Microsoft Excel, AcademyX offers Excel training in San Francisco, Excel training in Los Angeles, as well as San Jose and Sacramento. If you are interested, please visit us at AcademyX.com to see our full course of classes.