Use spreadsheet functions (SUM, IF, VLOOKUP, COUNTIF)

📊 8 Spreadsheets – Mastering Key Functions

🔢 SUM – Adding Numbers Quickly

Think of SUM like adding up all the candies in a jar. Instead of counting each candy one by one, SUM does it instantly.

Formula example: =SUM(A1:A10) adds the values from cell A1 to A10.

?? IF – Making Decisions in Cells

The IF function is like a traffic light: green means go, red means stop. It checks a condition and returns one value if true, another if false.

Formula example: =IF(B2>=60, "Pass", "Fail") checks if a score in B2 is 60 or more.

1. Write the condition: B2>=60
2. Specify the value if true: "Pass"
3. Specify the value if false: "Fail"

🔎 VLOOKUP – Finding Data Fast

Imagine a phone book where you search a name and get the number. VLOOKUP does the same in a spreadsheet.

Formula example: =VLOOKUP("Apple", A2:B5, 2, FALSE) looks for "Apple" in column A and returns the value from column B.

📈 COUNTIF – Counting with Conditions

Counting how many times a word appears in a list is like counting how many times a song plays on the radio. COUNTIF does this automatically.

Formula example: =COUNTIF(C1:C10, "Red") counts how many cells in C1:C10 contain the word "Red".

1. Define the range: C1:C10
2. Set the condition: "Red"

📚 Quick Review & Practice

• SUM – Add numbers in a range.
• IF – Return values based on a condition.
• VLOOKUP – Search a value in the first column and return a related value.
• COUNTIF – Count cells that meet a specific criterion.

Try creating a mini‑budget sheet: list expenses, use SUM to total them, IF to flag overspending, VLOOKUP to find item prices, and COUNTIF to count how many items are in each category.