Why would you use separate sheets when using Excel?

Answer 1

You may want different kinds of data on them. This data might be loosely related. You might have your earnings on one sheet, and your expenses on another.

A better reason for it is when you have corresponding data for several things. For example, you might own several companies and have details on each one on a separate sheet. You might have details of finances of different months or different years on different sheets. One advantage of doing this is that you can have corresponding formulas in the same cell on the different sheets. So, for example, in cell B20 on one sheet you could have a formula totalling a specific set of cells on that sheet, and do the same in another sheet. All you have to do then is fill in the figures. It makes it easier for comparing corresponding formulas and finding errors. It also means you know what cells to look into for a certain figure, as they will be in the same cell on each sheet.

You can also have several sheets each with their own corresponding data, and then on a last sheet, have formulas that add all the values on each of the other sheets and have the totals on that last one. So for example you could have figures for five separate years, each having the same formulas in the same cells on each one. So using the B20 example again, that might add all your incomes from the 12 months of the year. So on each sheet the formula would always be =sum(b8:b19). That would be handier than having all the five years all on the one sheet, one under another. On the last sheet you could have a formula that adds all the b20 formulas together. So you will have the individual totals for each year in the B20 one each sheet for a particular year and on the last sheet have an overall total of the other sheets. In Sheet6 that formula would be:

=SUM(Sheet1:Sheet5!B20)

If you had specific names for the sheets, which would often be a good idea, the formula would be slightly different. The simplest way is to go to the final sheet and type in =Sum(

Then go to the B20, or whatever cell you are using, on the first Sheet and then press and hold Shift and click on the tab of the last sheet you want included in the formula and type the last ) and press return. That will give you the formula above.

These are just a few examples of why you would use the various sheets, but there are many others. Another good thing is that it takes up less space on your disk having one file with several sheets used, than have several files each with just one sheet used, but the same amount of data.

Answer 2

To perform different tasks. You may have a workbook that has a number of different sheets in it that are related, but not the same. A company may use one worksheet for its sales, but have different regions for their sales on different worksheets. Then they might have one last worksheet that shows the totals from all the worksheets together. Then if they make changes on the individual ones, the totals will be updated on the totals one. You could have all the regions in one single worksheet, but it may be a very big worksheet and more awkward to deal with.

It can also make it easier to lay out and compare worksheets, as on each worksheet, the corresponding cells will hold the same data. So for example, on each worksheet the cell B40 might be the one that holds the totals. This also makes it easier to do a formula on the totals worksheet, as you know the individual totals are all in the same cell on each worksheet.

Answer 3

You could have 13 sheets in a spreadsheet.

As in the first sheet is a summary of the year, then the other

12 sheets are 1 for each month.

Or 32 sheets, as in 1 summary and 31 days, for a month.