← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

Adding more rules for more colours

Each extra conditional formatting rule links one more number to one more colour, so one grid of numbers can show many colours.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Representing Data with Numbers — Module 30

Understanding Adding more rules for more colours in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What it does: Each number in the colour key gets its own rule, so three numbers need three rules. Keep the old rule and add a new one. Changing the rule for 1 would break the black cells. The key is the plan, so the rule should follow it. The rule was linked to the wrong number. The rule picks the right cells (2) but uses the wrong colour. Fix the fill colour only. Every number you want coloured needs its own rule.

Common mistakes: The colour key says 1 is red, but this rule colours 1 blue. It should be: Rule 1: cell = 1 -> red. The key gives the number 2 two colours, so number 3 has no colour. The last entry should be 3=green so each number has one colour.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 73–84) and word search (Modules 73–104).

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Learning

Duo

A colour key says 0 = white, 1 = black and 2 = red. How many conditional formatting rules does the grid need?

One rule that colours every numberThree rules, one for each number

Matches

Rule: Cell value > 1 → fill red (key says only 2 is red)

↓

The rule colours cells holding 2 and also 3, 4 and higher, not just the number 2. It should be Cell value = 2.

Applying

Meanings

Term

Add new rule

Meaning

Each extra conditional formatting rule links one more number to one more colour, so one grid of numbers can show many colours.

Practice

Rule 1: if cell = 0 then fill white

Testing

Gaps

Rule 3: If cell equals , fill red

Check Answer

Spots

1Colour key: 1=red, 2=blue

2Rule 1: cell = 1 -> blue

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Quick Questions

1. A colour key says 0 = white, 1 = black and 2 = red. How many conditional formatting rules does the grid need?

A. Three rules, one for each number ✓

B. One rule that colours every number

Each number needs its own rule that links it to its colour. Three numbers and three colours means three rules.

2. You made a rule for 1 (black). Now you want the number 2 to turn red. What do you do?

A. Change the rule for 1 so it fills red

B. Add a new rule: cells equal to 2 get red fill ✓

Keep the old rule and add a new one. Changing the rule for 1 would break the black cells.

3. Which rule matches the colour key 3 = green?

A. Format cells equal to 3 with a green fill ✓

B. Format cells equal to 3 with a red fill

A rule must use the same colour that the key gives for that number.

4. A grid has only 0s, 1s and 2s. You have rules for 0 and 1 only. What happens to the cells with a 2?

A. They stay uncoloured, because no rule matches 2 ✓

B. They turn the same colour as the 1s

A number with no rule gets no colour. Add a rule for 2 to colour them.

5. A rule says 'cells equal to 5 turn blue', but the key says 4 = blue. Which fix is right?

A. Change the key so 4 = red

B. Change the rule to cells equal to 4 ✓

The key is the plan, so the rule should follow it. The rule was linked to the wrong number.

Match the Pairs

Add new rule → Makes one more conditional formatting rule, so one more number can be linked to its own colour.

Cell value = 2 → fill green → A rule that colours every cell holding the number 2 green, and no other cells.

The colour key says 0 is white, 1 is black and 2 is red, so the grid needs three rules, one for each number. → Rule 1: =0 white | Rule 2: =1 black | Rule 3: =2 red

Adding a rule for the number 3 lets the cells holding 3 show a new colour, such as blue, without changing the other colours. → Add new rule: Cell value = 3 → fill blue

Rule: Cell value > 1 → fill red (key says only 2 is red) → The rule colours cells holding 2 and also 3, 4 and higher, not just the number 2. It should be Cell value = 2.

Rule 1: =1 black | Rule 2: =1 red (key says 2 is red) → Rule 2 uses the number 1 again instead of 2, so the cells holding 2 never turn red. It should be =2.

Key Term

Add new rule

Each extra conditional formatting rule links one more number to one more colour, so one grid of numbers can show many colours.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Colour key: 0 = white, 1 = black, 2 = red Rule 3: If cell equals 2, fill red

Hint: Type the number that the colour key links to red.

2. Key: 1 = blue, 2 = green, 3 = yellow Rule 2: If cell equals 2, fill green

Hint: Type the colour that the key links to this rule's number.

3. Key: 1 = blue, 2 = green, 3 = yellow Rule 1 fills blue, Rule 2 fills green Rule 3 fills yellow

Hint: Type the rule number that comes next in the pattern.

4. Key: 4 = orange Broken: If cell equals 5, fill orange Fixed: If cell equals 4, fill orange

Hint: Type the number from the colour key that the fixed rule should match.

5. Grid numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3 One rule for each number So we need 4 rules

Hint: Type how many rules are needed, one for each different number.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A Colour key: 1=red, 2=blue

B Rule 1: cell = 1 -> blue

C Rule 2: cell = 2 -> blue

Line B — The colour key says 1 is red, but this rule colours 1 blue. It should be: Rule 1: cell = 1 -> red.

Question 2

A Key: 1=red 2=blue 2=green

B Rule 1: cell = 1 -> red

C Rule 2: cell = 2 -> blue

D Rule 3: cell = 3 -> green

Line A — The key gives the number 2 two colours, so number 3 has no colour. The last entry should be 3=green so each number has one colour.

Question 3

A Key: 1=red 2=blue 3=green

B Rule 1: cell = 1 -> red

C Rule 2: cell = 2 -> blue

D Rule 3: cell = 2 -> green

Line D — Rule 3 should match the number 3, but it matches 2 again, which already has a rule. The 3s would never turn green. It should be: Rule 3: cell = 3 -> green.

Question 4

A Range: A1:E5

B Rule 1: cell = 1 -> black

C Rule 2: cell = 2 -> red

D Rule 3: cell > 3 -> blue

Line D — The > sign colours cells bigger than 3, so the 3s stay uncoloured and the wrong cells change. It should use = : Rule 3: cell = 3 -> blue.

Question 5

A Key: 0=white 1=grey 2=black

B Rule 1: cell = 0 -> white

C Rule 2: cell = 3 -> grey

D Rule 3: cell = 2 -> black

Line C — The colour key has no number 3. Grey belongs to the number 1, so the rule should be: Rule 2: cell = 1 -> grey.

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