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Microsoft® Excel 2003: Useful Functions With Lots of Tips and Tricks

H. Albert Napier, Ph.D. and Ollie N. Rivers

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Description

This is an intermediate level lesson that guides you through creating and using Statistical, Date & Time, Financial, Logical, Database, and Math & Trig functions using step-by-step hands-on activities. The functions covered are:

  • AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, COUNT, MEDIAN, MODE, and the STDEV Statistical functions,
  • NOW, TODAY, DATE, MONTH, DAY, YEAR, TIME, HOUR, MINUTE, SECOND, and WEEKDAY Date & Time functions,
  • IRR, NPV, FV, PV, PMT, SLN, SYD, and DB Financial functions
  • IF and AND Logical functions,
  • DSUM, DCOUNT, DAVERAGE, DMIN, and DMAX Database functions, and
  • RAND, SQRT, and ROUND Math & Trig functions.

Objectives

  1. use three methods to build a formula containing a function
  2. calculate the average, maximum, minimum, count, median, mode, and standard deviation of a range using Statistical functions
  3. insert date and time components using Date & Time functions
  4. calculate the internal rate of return, net present value, future value, present value, payment, and depreciation using Financial functions
  5. use two Logical functions to perform calculations based on one or more tests
  6. find the sum, average, maximum, minimum values and number of values in a database field using specific criteria and Database functions
  7. find a random number; find the positive square root of a number; and round
    calculations to a specific number of places to the left or right of the decimal
    point using Math & Trig function


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Key Terms

FV

header row

HOUR

IF

IF statement

Insert Function button

Insert Function dialog box

internal rate of return

IRR

list

MAX

MEDIAN

median value

MIN

MINUTE

mode

MODE

MONTH

nested functions

net present value

NETWORKDAYS

NOT

NOW

NPV

OR

PMT

present value

[h]:mm custom time format

AND

argument

average

AVERAGE

COUNT

COUNTA

COUNTBLANK

database

DATE

DAVERAGE

DAY

DB

DCOUNT

DDB

dddd custom date format

DGET

DMAX

DMIN

DPRODUCT

DSTDEV

DSUM

field

function

Function Arguments dialog

box

future value



See also:
  1. Getting Started With Excel 2003
  2. Working with Complex Formulas in Excel 2003
  3. Excel 2007

Author Biographies

H. Albert Napier, Ph.D.
Dr. Napier is a successful professor, author and entrepreneur. Currently, he serves as Professor of Management in the Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University, where he teaches graduate level courses on entrepreneurship, information technology and e-business.

He is a co-author of more than 60 books on Microsoft Office application software.  His books have been used as the textbooks for courses in hundreds of universities, colleges, and corporations. Dr. Napier is also co-author of additional computer software training courses that are provided on the Internet.

Dr. Napier is also co-author of Creating a Winning E-Business, E-Business Technologies, Business Planning: 25 Keys to a Successful Business Plan, and Preparing an Entrepreneurial Business Plan. He is currently completing another book on the entrepreneurial process.

He is an owner of the successful e-business town Favorites that provides on-line grocery shopping for candies, condiments and everyday food items that are hard to find where you live. The company is located at www.hometownfavorites.com.

In addition to his duties at Rice, Dr. Napier was a principal for 20 years of Napier & Judd, Inc. The company provided consulting services in IT strategy, planning, and systems development to more than 200 organizations and trained more than 150,000 participants on personal computer software applications. Some of the industries served by Napier & Judd, Inc. included energy, health, education, finance, banking, distribution, and accounting.

He is the author of more than 25 articles related to information technology, human-computer interface, and applications of computer based decision processes in business.

Dr. Napier holds a BA degree in Mathematics and Economics, an MBA degree, and a Ph.D. degree in Business Administration, all from the University of Texas at Austin.


Ollie N. Rivers
Ollie N. Rivers has more than 20 years' business experience in financial and administrative management and more than 10 years’ experience as a corporate trainer. She is a co-author of two e-business textbooks and a Web design textbook, and is a contributing author on more than 15 software package and Internet textbooks. Ms. Rivers has also developed and delivered numerous classroom and online continuing education seminars for CPAs. Ms. Rivers holds an MBA and a BS in Accounting and Management from Houston Baptist University.



Copyright © 2009
H. Albert Napier and Ollie N. Rivers
Distributed by FreeTutorialCentral with permission

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