Cells and values: one fact in one box

By the end of this lesson you can read any single value and say which row and column it belongs to.

Why it matters

When you share a finding, people will ask, "Where did that number come from?" If you can say "cell F14", anyone can check it in seconds. Addresses make your work checkable.

The idea in plain words

At a stadium, your ticket says something like "Block E, seat 14". The block tells you which way to walk. The seat number tells you where to stop. Together they point to exactly one seat.

A table works the same way. Where one row crosses one column, there is one small box. That box is called a cell. What is written inside it is called a value.

Cell: the box where one row meets one column.

Value: the one fact inside a cell, such as Pawpaw or 4.

Row (teal) across, column (blue) down, and the cell (amber) where they meet.

In a spreadsheet, columns are named with letters (A, B, C ...) and rows are numbered (1, 2, 3 ...). So every cell has an address: the column letter, then the row number. E14 means column E, row 14.

Cell address: the column letter followed by the row number, such as E14. Letter first, then number.

See it done

Question: what is the value in cell E14 of Amara's sheet?

Data: market-stall-week.csv (synthetic), opened in a spreadsheet. Row 1 holds the column names, so the first sale, S001, is in row 2.

1. Find the column. Look at the letters along the top. Column E is fruit.
2. Find the row. Look at the numbers down the left. Go down to 14.
3. Find where they meet. The cell at column E, row 14 holds Pawpaw.
4. Read the whole row for context. Row 14 is sale S013, on Tuesday at 09:40. It is the "Four pawpaws, please!" sale.

E14 is where column E (fruit) meets row 14 (sale S013). Its value is Pawpaw.

One more on the same row. Cell F14 is column F (quantity) on row 14. Its value is 4. Four pawpaws.

Tip: in Google Sheets, click any cell and its address appears in the small box at the top left, called the Name box. The value appears in the long bar next to it.

Your turn, with help

Use the picture of rows 12 to 16 above.

1. What is the value in cell F12?
2. Which cell holds the time 12:03?

Hint: for question 2, first find the row where the time is 12:03, then read the letter at the top of the time column.

Show the answer

1. 6 (six bananas in sale S011).
2. D15. The time column is D, and 12:03 is on row 15.

Your turn, alone

Use the same picture.

1. What is the value in cell E16?
2. What is the value in cell A13?
3. Which cell tells you how many oranges were sold in sale S014?
4. Is "14E" a correct cell address? Why or why not?

Check your answers

1. Pawpaw (sale S015).
2. S012.
3. F15 (the value is 7).
4. No. The letter comes first, then the number: E14.

Watch out

• Forgetting the header row. The first sale is in row 2, not row 1, because row 1 holds the column names. So sale S013 is in row 14, not row 13.
• Number first. Addresses are always letter, then number. E14, never 14E.
• Mixing up the label and the value. fruit is the column's name. Pawpaw is a value in it.

Say it back

1. What is a cell?
2. What does the address B7 mean?
3. In Amara's sheet, which row holds sale S001?

Show the answers

1. The box where one row meets one column. It holds one value.
2. Column B, row 7.
3. Row 2, because row 1 holds the column names.

What is next

So far you have looked at pictures of Amara's table. Next, you open the real thing on your own screen. How many rows does it really have? You will find out in about 15 minutes.