Information Communication Technology ICT – 20 Spreadsheets | e-Consult

A formula in a spreadsheet is a calculation that you type directly into a cell. It always results in a single value. Formulas begin with an equals sign (=). For example, =A1+B1 adds the values in cells A1 and B1. A function, on the other hand, is a pre-built formula that performs a specific calculation. Functions have a defined syntax and accept arguments (inputs) to perform their task. They typically start with a single equals sign followed by the function name (e.g., =SUM(A1:A10)). The function takes the range A1:A10 as an argument and calculates the sum of all the numbers in that range. The key difference is that a formula is a direct calculation, while a function is a pre-defined, reusable calculation.

Example:

• Formula: =2*C5 - This directly multiplies the value in cell C5 by 2.
• Function: =SQRT(A1) - This calculates the square root of the value in cell A1.