A spreadsheet is just a very tidy grid for numbers and words. In this lesson you will open Google Sheets for free, learn the three words everyone uses, and add up your first column of numbers.
What a spreadsheet is for
You could use one to keep track of spending, plan a holiday, list members of a club, or count the things you do each week. The big advantage over paper is that a spreadsheet can add up, sort and search for you, and it will not make arithmetic mistakes.
Getting started
You need a free Google account. Go to the official Google Sheets page, or open the Sheets app on your phone, and sign in. Click the large + or Blank spreadsheet button. Your work is saved automatically as you type, so there is no save button to worry about.
Three words you need
- Column: a line of boxes going up and down. Columns have letters: A, B, C.
- Row: a line of boxes going across. Rows have numbers: 1, 2, 3.
- Cell: a single box, named by its column and row. The box in column B and row 3 is called B3.
Click any cell and you will see a colored border around it. Whatever you type goes into that cell. Press Enter to move down, or Tab to move right.
Your first list
- Click cell A1 and type Item. Press Tab, then type Cost in B1.
- Click A2 and type Milk. Press Tab and type 2. Press Enter.
- Click A3 and type Bread, then Tab and 3. Press Enter.
- In A4, type Apples and in B4 type 4.
- Click cell A1, hold your mouse button down and drag across to B1. Click the bold B button in the toolbar. This makes your headings stand out.
Your first sum
Here is the clever part. You can tell the spreadsheet to add the numbers.
- Click an empty cell under your costs, such as B5.
- Type an equals sign, then SUM(. The equals sign tells Sheets you are giving an instruction, not typing a word.
- Click B2 and drag down to B4. The cells turn blue and the range B2:B4 appears.
- Type a closing bracket ) and press Enter.
The cell now shows 9. Click it again and you will see the instruction at the top: =SUM(B2:B4). Now change the 2 in B2 to 5. The total updates to 12 by itself. That is why people love spreadsheets.
If something goes wrong
If you see the words rather than a number, check you typed the equals sign first. If you see an error such as #NAME?, check the spelling of SUM. If you make a mess, press Ctrl and Z together (or Command and Z on a Mac) to undo.
Try it now
- Open a blank spreadsheet and name it by clicking "Untitled spreadsheet" at the top left. Type My first sheet.
- Make a list of five things you bought this week, with a cost for each.
- Make the headings bold.
- Add the costs with a SUM under the list.
- Change one cost and watch the total change.
That is a working spreadsheet. In a few lessons you will use the same idea to build a household budget.
What to remember
- Columns have letters, rows have numbers, and each box is a cell such as B3.
- Start with an equals sign when you want Sheets to calculate.
- Your work saves itself, and undo is always one shortcut away.
In the next lesson you will make your sheet clearer: widening columns, formatting money and keeping things neat.