Unit 4 - Spreadsheet Concepts

Question 1

What does a computer model do?

Answer 1

It allows you to create a ‘virtual’ representation of the item within the computer

Question 2

What is an advantage of using software to create a model of something?

Answer 2

The designer can ask questions of the object before it is built!
Allows for changing individual components as the model evolves to see how they react!
Effects can be gauged at the touch of a button, without the expense or risk of building the real thing!

Question 3

What are the two types of modelling?

Answer 3

Mathematical Modelling (financial, calculations, spreadsheets etc.)
Modelling of objects (rooms, buildings, cars etc.)

Question 4

C1+D1
$C$1+$D$1
$C1 + D$1
One is Absolute another is Relative and one is Mixed Cell Refrence. Which is which?

Answer 4

Relative / Absolute / Mixed Cell reference

Question 5

What are the four characteristics of a model that allow it to manipulate numbers and text?

Answer 5

Variables
Rules
Formulae
Functions

Question 6

What is a variable?

Answer 6

a variable is something that can be changed and is normally associated with a cell reference (e.g. C4) or a cell name (e.g. NAME_Rate).

Question 7

What is a Formula?

Answer 7

It is a method for representing a calculation in a spreadsheet

Question 8

What are rules in the context of spreadsheets?

Answer 8

Rules are a set of procedures that must be followed

Question 9

What are SUM MAX & COUNTIF examples of?

Answer 9

Reserved Words in a Function

Question 10

What is a ‘What if?’ question ?

Answer 10

A ‘What if?’ question is an attempt to find out what is going to happen in the future. It requires that a value is changed so other values can be recalculated

Question 11

What are the two parts of a ‘What if?’ question?

Answer 11

What could be changed
The question to be applied

For example if a shop takes on two more staff (the change), how much more profit does the shop have to make to afford them (the question)

Question 12

What does a spreadsheet model do?

Answer 12

A spreadsheet model comprises a set of data about something and a set of rules that control what the data does.

Question 13

What is a model?

Answer 13

A model is an artificial re-creation of an object or event that should behave in the same way as the real thing.

Question 14

Name two advantages of a spreadsheet model?

Answer 14

Graphs can be produced: these will change automatically as the values change.
It is likely to be quicker and cheaper to build a computer model than the real thing.
The model can be saved and backed up: if the original is lost or corrupted there is a copy.
he model can be shared between different people in different locations
It is safer to run a simulation / model under extreme conditions than the real thing.

Question 15

Name two disadvantages of a spreadsheet model?

Answer 15

The model may not be a 100% accurate representation of the real world.
If the model relates to people then an accurate result may not be given.
Many variable need to be considered and it is easy to miss something out. This may lead to unexpected or misleading results.
Producing an effective model might be very time consuming and expensive. Running the model might require expensive hardware or additional software.

Question 16

What is a worksheet?

Answer 16

A worksheet is a large grid of cells on a single sheet.

Question 17

How can a worksheet be used?

Answer 17

A worksheet can be used to hold the sales, expenditure, stock or any of thousands of other numerically based data sets.

Question 18

What is a workbook?

Answer 18

A workbook is a collection of worksheets in the same spreadsheet.

Question 19

How can a workbook be used?

Answer 19

A workbook can be used to hold data on all areas of a company or whole business.

Question 20

Advantage of a workbook?

Answer 20

In linked workbooks, changes on one worksheet can be reflected across other worksheets within the same workbook.

Different access rights can be given to different people.

Question 21

What is a row?

Answer 21

Rows go across spreadsheets and are normally numbered.

Question 22

What is a column?

Answer 22

Columns are a range of cells that go up and down. These are normally labelled with a letter.

Question 23

What can rows and columns do in a spreadsheet?

Answer 23

Rows and columns are used to organize data. They can be re-sized to accommodate the size of data needed. Columns and rows that contain formulas can also be hidden from the normal user to prevent inadvertent changes from being made.

Question 24

What is a cell?

Answer 24

An individual data store identified by a column and row indicator.

Question 25

How can a cell be formatted?

Answer 25

Cells can be formatted by data type and also in terms of their size, colour, font style, alignment and given conditional formatting.

Question 26

What is a range?

Answer 26

A range is a group of cells.

Question 27

When is a range used?

Answer 27

A range is used when cells contain similar data. This might contain grades, marks for an exam or stock information.

Question 28

When is cell referencing used in spreadsheets?

Answer 28

Cell referencing in spreadsheets is the use of cell identifiers to include the values contained with in the cell in a formula or function.

Question 29

When you copy a formulae or function in a spreadsheet there are two ways the cell reference can be affected. What are they and define both.

Answer 29

In can move in relation to the direction of copy, a process called relative referencing. Or it can stay the same, regardless of the direction of copy, a process known as absolute referencing.

Question 30

What is relative cell referencing?

Answer 30

Relative cell referencing is when the cell referenced in a spreadsheet formula changes when the formula is copied to other cells.

Question 31

What is absolute cell referencing?

Answer 31

Absolute referencing is used when a referenced cell in a spreadsheet formula needs to remain exactly the same when the formula is copied to other cells.

Question 32

=$A$1+A2

which part is absolute and which is relative?

Answer 32

$A$1 is absolute

A2 is relative

Question 33

Advantage of absolute cell references?

Answer 33

You only have to alter one cell to change the whole workbook.
The formulae in all cells that contain the name or absolute reference will be recalculated automatically.