← Back to the activity

Year 8 Computing — Reading spreadsheet formulas

Read a spreadsheet formula, work out which cells it refers to, and say what number it will show.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.A sheet holds A1 = 4, A2 = 6 and A3 = 9. What number does the formula "=A1+A2" show?

  2. 2.Sort each formula by whether it adds its cells together or multiplies them.

    Groups: Adds · Multiplies

    • =SUM(C1:C5)
    • =B2*B3
    • =D1*D2
    • =A4+B4
    • =A1+A2
    • =E1*E2

  3. 3.A sheet holds A1 = 2, A2 = 5, A3 = 8 and A4 = 1. What number does the formula "=SUM(A1:A4)" show?

  4. 4.A sheet holds A1 = 10 and A2 = 4. Match each formula to the number it shows.

    • =A1+A2
    • =A1-A2
    • =A1*A2
    • =A1/A2
    • =A2*A2
    • 6
    • 14
    • 40
    • 16
    • 2.5

  5. 5.A sheet holds A1 = 9 and A2 = 3, and a cell holding "=A1/A2" is showing 3. You then change A1 to 12. What does that cell show now?

    • a) 12
    • b) It keeps showing 3 until the formula is typed in again
    • c) 4
    • d) 3

  6. 6.A sheet holds A1 = 3, A2 = 8 and A3 = 2. Put these formulas in order of the number each one shows, smallest first.

    • =SUM(A1:A3)
    • =A1-A3
    • =A2*A3
    • =A1+A2
    • =A3*A1

  7. 7.A sheet holds A1 = 5, A2 = 5 and A3 = 5. Which of these formulas does NOT show 15?

    • a) =A1+A2+A3
    • b) =SUM(A1:A3)
    • c) =A1*3
    • d) =A1+A2

  8. 8.A cell sits in column C, in the fourth row down. Write its cell reference.

Answer key — Year 8 Computing — Reading spreadsheet formulas

  1. 1. 10
  2. 2. =A1+A2 → Adds; =B2*B3 → Multiplies; =SUM(C1:C5) → Adds; =D1*D2 → Multiplies; =A4+B4 → Adds; =E1*E2 → Multiplies
  3. 3. 16
  4. 4. =A1+A2 → 14; =A1-A2 → 6; =A1*A2 → 40; =A1/A2 → 2.5; =A2*A2 → 16
  5. 5. c) 4
  6. 6. 1. =A1-A3 2. =A3*A1 3. =A1+A2 4. =SUM(A1:A3) 5. =A2*A3
  7. 7. d) =A1+A2
  8. 8. C4