Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Both A & B
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Spreadsheet programs like Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and others are widely used for calculations, data analysis, and record keeping. Understanding how data is organised within a spreadsheet is fundamental for working effectively with these tools. This question asks about the basic structural elements of a worksheet, highlighting the familiar grid layout used to store information in cells.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
A spreadsheet worksheet is organised as a two dimensional grid. Horizontal lines across the sheet are called rows, usually numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on. Vertical lines are called columns, usually labelled A, B, C, and so forth. Each intersection of a row and a column is a cell, where the user enters data or formulas. While tables and charts can be created inside spreadsheets, they are features built on top of the underlying row and column structure. Therefore, the correct answer must acknowledge both rows and columns as basic components of the spreadsheet grid.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Visualise a spreadsheet window. Notice that numbers appear along the left side, representing rows.Step 2: Observe that letters appear along the top, representing columns.Step 3: Understand that each cell is identified by a combination of its column letter and row number, such as A1 or C5, which depends on both rows and columns.Step 4: Recognise that selecting only Rows or only Columns would ignore half of the grid structure.Step 5: Identify that the option Both A & B correctly states that a spreadsheet contains both rows and columns.Step 6: Conclude that Both A & B is the appropriate choice.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider how formulas refer to cell addresses. Every cell reference in a spreadsheet uses the pattern column plus row, such as D10 or F25. Without both rows and columns, such addressing would not be possible. Tables and charts created in spreadsheets rely on ranges of cells defined by row and column boundaries, for example A1:D10. This further confirms that the fundamental structure is a grid formed by rows and columns, not by tables or charts alone.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Rows alone describe only the horizontal axis; without columns, there would be no two dimensional grid. Columns alone describe only the vertical axis and are also incomplete. Tables are higher level structures that can be formed from selected ranges of cells but are not the basic organising framework of the worksheet. Charts are visual representations of data and are created from the data in the cells; they are not the underlying layout. Therefore, only the combined option Both A & B correctly captures the essential elements of a spreadsheet grid.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may confuse tables and spreadsheets, thinking that the presence of a table feature means that the spreadsheet itself is simply a table. Others might overlook the distinction between the basic grid and the advanced tools built on top of it. Remember that a spreadsheet is fundamentally a matrix of cells organised by rows and columns, while tables, charts, and pivot tables are optional tools that use that structure to provide additional functionality.
Final Answer:
A spreadsheet contains a grid that consists of Both A & B, that is, rows and columns.
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