Datasheet

21
Chapter 1: Evaluating Data in the Real World
Figure 1-4:
Expenditures
for R&D in
science and
engineering.
I started with column H blank and with row 11 blank. How did I get the totals
into column H and row 11?
If I want to create a formula to calculate the first row total (for Physical
Sciences), one way (among several) is to enter
= D2 + E2 + F2 + G2
into cell H2. (A formula always begins with “=”.) Press Enter and the total
appears in H2.
Now, to put that formula into cells H3 through H10, the trick is to position the
cursor on the lower right corner of H2 until a “+” appears, hold down the left
mouse button, and drag the mouse through the cells. That “+” is called the
cell’s fill handle.
When you finish dragging, release the mouse button and the row totals
appear. This saves huge amounts of time, because you don’t have to reenter
the formula eight times.
Same thing with the column totals. One way to create the formula that sums
up the numbers in the first column (1990) is to enter
=D2 + D3 + D4 + D5 + D6 + D7 + D8 + D9 + D10
into cell D11. Position the cursor on D11’s fill handle, drag through row 11
and release in column H, and you autofill the totals into E11 through H11.
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