Google Sheets – The Basics

Google Sheets is an incredibly powerful tool, capable of much more than just data entry. You can perform complex calculations, send emails, draw pictures, and even play games! However, before jumping into advanced functions, it’s important to start with the basics.

Check out this video which covers all the basics:

Creating a Google Sheet

To create a new Google Sheet:

1. Open Google Drive.
2. Click on “New” and select “Google Sheets.” A blank spreadsheet will open in a new tab.

• Pro Tip: You can quickly create a new Google Sheet by typing sheets.new in your Chrome address bar!

Navigating Google Sheets

When you first open Google Sheets, here’s what you’ll see:

Menus: Located at the top, similar to other programs, and including options like “File” and “Edit”.

Toolbar: Below the menus, this contains shortcut icons for the most common actions.

Formula Bar: This is where you can enter data or formulas into a cell. Clicking on a cell displays its contents here.

Cells: The grid where you input your data. Each cell is identified by a column letter and a row number (e.g., A1).

Sheets: At the bottom, you can navigate between multiple sheets in your file, add new ones, or change their order.

Comments & Sharing: In the top right corner, you’ll find options for adding comments and sharing your spreadsheet with others.

Adding Data to Your Sheet

Let’s start by entering data:

1. Click on cell A1 and type “Name” then press Enter.
2. In A2, start entering the names of your students (e.g., Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty).
3. In B1, type “Marks” and press Enter.
4. Now, enter their scores (e.g., 76, 85, 90, etc.).

Using Simple Formulas

Once you’ve added your data, you can use formulas to perform calculations. To find the average of your students’ marks:

• Click on B6 and type: =AVERAGE(B2:B5), then press Enter.

Voila! You’ve just calculated the average mark using a formula. Google Sheets makes it easy to manipulate data, and there’s a lot more to explore as you dive deeper into its features.

You can find more Google Sheets tutorials here.

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