Sorting and Filtering a Table to Answer a Question
A table of a few hundred rows will not answer a question by being read. Sorting brings the extremes to the top and filtering drops the rows that do not bear on the question, and what is left is the answer.
What a learner can do afterwards
- Turn a question into the sort or the filter that would answer it, before touching the data
- Sort by one column and say why the other columns had to move with it
- Filter on two conditions and say how many rows survived and why
1 · Read
In a sheet you can already build, a table with hundreds of rows will not answer you by being read. Turn your question into a sort or a filter before you touch the data. Sorting lines rows up by size, and filtering drops the rows that do not matter.
You need the five best scores from one class. First filter the class column to that class, so other classes vanish. Then sort scores from largest to smallest, and read the top five rows.
When you sort by one column, the other columns must move with it. Each row is one record, like one pupil with her class and score. If scores moved alone, they would land beside the wrong names.
Stack two filters to narrow further, then count the rows that survive. Say the count and why each filter removed its share. The top row after a good sort and filter is your answer, not a guess. If no rows survive, loosen a filter and check why.
Translate the question into a sort or filter, keep rows together, and read the answer off the survivors.
The rewritten readings were written for this dataset.
More to read
Ordering rows in Android Sheets
Sorting rearranges records using one column, such as price or points. Choose the order that answers your question: descending scores put the highest first; ascending prices put the cheapest first.
In Google Sheets on Android: 1. Open the spreadsheet. Look for the green Sheets icon with a white table. 2. Select the sorting column by tapping its letter above the cells. 3. Tap that letter once more for its menu. Use the three-dot control if more options are needed. 4. Select Sort A-Z for ascending order or Sort Z-A for descending order. For numbers, these mean low to high and high to low.
Keep complete records together. When ordering students by score, their names and grades must move with their scores. Check that the sort includes the full table. Moving scores alone would match them with the wrong students. With rows kept intact, the requested result can appear at the top.
Showing matching records with Excel filters
A filter keeps matching records visible and temporarily hides the rest. Excel's AutoFilter can narrow a large table to the records you need.
1. Give every column a heading, such as Name, Team or Points. Make sure Excel recognizes this header row so it stays separate from the data. 2. Select a cell within the table and enable Filter from Data or Sort and Filter. Check that the selected range covers the table. Each heading gains an arrow. 3. Open the relevant arrow's menu. Select the values to keep, or remove ticks beside unwanted values. Use a number rule when you need a condition such as a score above 20. 4. Apply another column's filter to combine conditions. For example, selecting Blue under Team and scores above 20 under Points shows only records meeting both conditions. 5. Count the visible data rows, excluding the headings. To find how many students walk to school, keep Walk in the transport column and count those records.
Hidden records remain in the spreadsheet. Clear the filters to display them again.
2 · Watch
به انگلیسیTake it off screen
Where it sits
Optional connections
This opens up
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.