Introduction to Cells

Understanding cells

Every worksheet is made up of thousands of rectangles, which are called cells. A cell is the intersection of a row and a column.

Columns are identified by letters (A, B, C).

Rows are identified by numbers (1, 2, 3).

Cell Address

Each cell has its own name, or cell address, based on its column and row. In this example, the selected cell intersects column C and row 5, so the cell address is C5. The cell address will also appear in the Name box. Note that a cell's column and row headings are highlighted when the cell is selected.

Cell content

Any information you enter into a spreadsheet will be stored in a cell. Each cell can contain several different kinds of content, including text, formatting, formulas, and functions.

Text:

Cells can contain text, such as letters, numbers, and dates.

Formatting attributes:

Cells can contain formatting attributes that change the way letters, numbers, and dates are displayed. For example, percentages can appear as 0.15 or 15%. You can even change a cell's background color.

Formulas and functions:

Cells can contain formulas and functions that calculate cell values.