(A, B, C …) and columns are displayed vertically across the grid.
The empty spreadsheet grid shown below has eight rows and five columns, but a spreadsheet in a computer program will have many, many more rows and columns.
The intersection of a row and a column is called a cell. Each cell has its own name, which consists of the letter of the column followed by the number of the row. The highlighted cell in the spreadsheet grid shown above is called C5 – it is where column C and row 5 meet.
Tip
Exercise 12
Look at the section of a spreadsheet below, and answer the questions.
| A | B | |
| 1 | Subject | Grade |
| 2 | Statistics | 80% |
| 3 | Information Systems | 67% |
| 4 | Sociology | 65% |
| 5 | Academic Skills | 53% |
| 6 | Business and Management | 74% |
1 What is contained in the following cells?
a A6
b B3
2 What is the reference for the cells that contain the following?
a The number ‘53%’
b The word ‘Statistics’
The data values in each spreadsheet cell can be displayed in different ways depending on how the information is described. You can use:
The spreadsheet opposite records the food purchased by a shopper at a supermarket. Row 1 in this grid is used to show the names of the columns so that it is easy to understand what information is being stored.
A spreadsheet is very useful for performing simple calculations. It uses formulae to perform operations such as addition, subtraction and multiplication.
The following spreadsheet shows the different nationalities of students enrolled on an English course. It includes a formula which uses the individual numbers of each nationality to calculate the total number of students enrolled on the course. The formula is usually hidden from view and only the result is displayed.
Glossary
formula A formula is a group of letters, numbers or other symbols which represents a scientific or mathematical rule.
The formula SUM(B2:B8) is used to calculate the total of number of students enrolled on the course. It adds up the numbers in cells B2 to B8. If a number in one of these cells is changed, then the result of the formula is automatically updated by the spreadsheet.
So, if another French student enrols on the course, then the cell B5 becomes 4 and the total in cell B10 is changed automatically to 44 to include the new student.
Once you have organized your data in a spreadsheet, it is then possible to use the computer program to create graphs and charts to display the information in a visual way. The bar chart below has been created using the data in the previous example.
For more information on graphics, see Chapter 8.
Tip
Using graphics
A number of different visuals are used in academic writing to present data or information. In academic texts they are often referred to as figures, but sometimes a wider range of terms such as chart and table are used as well. A pie chart is used to show the proportion of something in different segments. A key is used to label a pie chart when there are many sections. A bar chart is used to compare different amounts of something. A line graph is used to show trends or patterns. The axes are labelled to show what data is being presented. The x axis is horizontal and the y axis is vertical. A table is a grid with columns and rows of numbers. Diagrams are often used to describe functions. For example, they may show the organization of a company or the stages in the process involved in manufacturing or in decision-making.
Glossary
proportion A proportion of a group or an amount is a part of it.
trend A trend is a change or development towards something new or different.
Exercise 13
Look at the pictures below and label them with words from the box.
Exercise 14
Put the words in brackets into the correct position and form in each sentence.
1 The x axis goes ________and the y axis goes ________. (horizontal / vertical)
2 A ________goes vertically and a ________goes horizontally. (row / column)
3 A ________is used to ________a ________. With a ________the ________needs to be labelled. (label / key / pie chart / line graph / axis)
4