← Level 2 – Formula kid

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MIN and MAX

The worst and best grade without hunting with your eyes.

MIN and MAX are functions like SUM

You already know =SUM(B2:B6) and =AVERAGE(B2:B6). MIN finds the smallest number in a range. MAX the largest.

With grades in Czechia 1 is best, 5 is worst (in secondary school the other way — a teacher will tell you). For our course we count grades 1–5, where 1 is best. Then:

💡

English Sheets: =MIN(...), =MAX(...). The same names. If #NAME?, check the language and the range.

An example on paper

Grades 2, 1, 3, 1, 2:

Into the table

  1. Sheet Grades. Under the Average row (or next to it) A Best, B formula =MIN(B3:B8) — a range by your data without the heading and without the average.

  2. A next row Worst, B =MAX(B3:B8).

  3. If you have grades 1,2,1,3,2 in B3:B7, MIN shows 1, MAX 3.

  4. Click the MIN cell. In the formula bar a function, not a hard 1.

⚠️

The range must not reach the average. If MAX looks at a cell with average 1.8, the result is weird. Only clean grades.

Pocket money — the biggest spend

  1. Pocket column C spends C2:C8.

  2. A10 Biggest spend, B10 =MAX(C2:C8).

  3. Change one spend to a bigger number. MAX must go up.

🏫 Grade average One sheet, two columns: subject and grade. At the bottom a sum and an average.
💰 Pocket money Rows = days, columns = income / spend / left.
📊 Class survey One question, answers in one column, later a chart.
🏆 Mini dashboard Three numbers at the top and one chart. Numbers as a link, not copied by hand.

Now you 💪

  1. On Grades you have MIN and MAX under the data with labels in A.
  2. The range points only at grades, not at the total/average.
  3. Changing one grade changes MAX or MIN, when it beats the old one.
  4. On Pocket MAX from spend works.
  5. In the cell is a number, in the formula bar =MIN or =MAX.

Check: MIN and MAX live in formulas. You know what they mean with grades 1–5.

What to take from this lesson