Calculations in Word
If you produce word processed invoices - perhaps you are
self-employed or run a business - you will be
pleased to learn that you can perform simple calculations on screen using the Table - Formula menu
option. So, no more need to work out the figures
separately using a calculator.
When you create a table to hold your figures, the
computer will designate the first column as A and then B, C, D etc. reading from left to
right. In the same way, the first row is !, then 2,
3, 4 etc. You can refer to any table entry (known as
a cell) by its column letter and row number - e.g. A3, B2 or C5, and use them in
your calculations. You can also use ready-made
formulae called functions such as SUM and AVERAGE that you may already have
encountered in Excel. For this to work, of course,
you need to take care that, in your invoices, each numerical entry is in a separate cell.
To total a column or row of figures, for example, click
the cell where you want the total to appear and then open the Table - Formula menu. You will probably find the function =SUM(Above) or
=SUM(Left) is already entered in the Formula box, and if you click OK the result should
appear in your table. (If you wanted to find the average of a range of numbers, you would
need to click inside the formula box and change the word SUM to AVERAGE.) You can even decide how the figures will look by
selecting a format from the Number format box.
To perform your own calculations e.g. to subtract one
entry from another, click where you want the answer to appear, open the menu and replace
the entry in the Formula box. Start with = then type
the name of the first cell, a minus and the name of the second cell. The final formula should look something like this:
= B5-A5
Click OK and the calculation will be performed in the
table.
(As in Excel, the computer only recognises a star * for
multiply, and a forward slash / for divide. All
four operators: + - * / can be found on the number pad to the right of the keyboard.)
Sometimes, results don’t appear accurately after
you have changed or added figures. To update
your calculations, select the cells containing any formulae.
Either press the function key F9 found at the top of your keyboard, or right-click
the cell and select Update Field.
Finally, you can use the copy and paste technique to
repeat a formula across columns or down rows, and save typing in the formula each time. Select the first cell containing the formula and right
click to offer a short menu. Select Copy and then
click in the next cell where you want the same formula to appear. Right click again and select Paste. Repeat this until all your calculations have been
performed. You will find that the computer
recognises that you have moved along columns or down rows and will automatically adjust
the answers if you now update the calculations as described above.
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