← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

Colouring cells by their number with a conditional formatting rule

A rule that colours a cell by itself when its number matches a condition, like a cell equal to 1 turning yellow. Change the number and the colour changes too.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Representing Data with Numbers — Module 29

Understanding Colouring cells by their number with a conditional formatting rule in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What it does: The condition (equal to 1) and the fill colour (yellow) together make the rule colour matching cells automatically. A rule does the colouring for you. You set it up once and the spreadsheet checks each cell. The rule only works on the cells you choose, so you select that range first. 'Is equal to' checks for one exact number. 'Greater than 100' is a different condition and would not match 1. The fix is to set the range to A1:H8 so every cell in the picture grid is checked by the rule.

Common mistakes: The rule checks the number in the cell, so the condition must be a number like 1. Yellow is the fill colour, which is chosen on the next line. It should be 'Rule: Is equal to 1'. You select the cells the rule applies to first. You choose the colour later. It should be 'Select the cells B2:F6'.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

🖨 Print worksheet + answer key Add Colouring cells by their number with a conditional formatting rule to a class →

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

Take this worksheet further — free with Cloodit

Each concept is reinforced from every angle — learned, then applied, then tested.

Learning
Duo
What does a conditional formatting rule do?
It colours a cell only when you click the fill bucket each timeIt colours a cell automatically when its number matches a condition
Matches
Apply to range: A1:H8, Is equal to 1, then colouring each cell by hand
↓
Colouring each cell by hand is not conditional formatting. A rule should do the colouring when the number matches.
Applying
Meanings
Term
conditional formatting
Meaning
A rule that colours a cell by itself when its number matches a condition, like a cell equal to 1 turning yellow. Change the number and the colour changes too.
Practice
Apply to range: A1:H8
Testing
Gaps
Condition: 1
Check Answer
Spots
1Select the cells A1:H8
2Rule: Is equal to yellow

Cloodit turns curriculum-aligned coding content into journeys students work through one biome at a time.

The 'Penguin' badge — List Waddler, one of Cloodit's 106 collectible badges
Students earn collectable badges

Over 100 of them, across seven natural biomes.

Study Buddy
Students build a real study resource

Turns their work into revision material ready for Flash Cards and Exam study.

Diamond Dash — one of Cloodit's live, competitive Sprint games
Students lock in with Sprints

Live, competitive practice for the start of the lesson or a teacher-led lesson finisher.

A Cloodit certificate of achievement, ready to personalise and print
Custom printable certificates

Honour your top performers, or encourage a student who's trying hard — ready to print in seconds.

Add to class →

Quick Questions

1. What does a conditional formatting rule do?
A. It colours a cell automatically when its number matches a condition ✓
B. It colours a cell only when you click the fill bucket each time
A rule does the colouring for you. You set it up once and the spreadsheet checks each cell.
2. A rule says: if a cell is equal to 1, fill it yellow. A cell contains 1. What colour is it?
A. Yellow ✓
B. White
The number 1 matches the condition 'is equal to 1', so the rule fills the cell yellow.
3. A rule says: if a cell is equal to 1, fill it yellow. A cell contains 0. What happens?
A. The rule colours it yellow anyway
B. The rule does not colour it, so it stays the same ✓
0 is not equal to 1, so the condition is false and the rule leaves the cell alone.
4. You change a cell from 0 to 1 and the rule says 'equal to 1 = yellow'. What happens to the cell?
A. It stays white until you colour it by hand
B. It turns yellow by itself ✓
Changing the number changes the colour. The rule checks the cell again straight away.
5. Before you make a rule, what should you do first?
A. Select the cells the rule will apply to ✓
B. Type the number 1 in every cell on the sheet
The rule only works on the cells you choose, so you select that range first.

Match the Pairs

Apply to range: A1:H8 → Chooses which cells the conditional formatting rule works on
Format cells if... Is equal to 1 → A rule that colours a cell when the number in it is exactly 1
The rule picks a fill colour, so every cell equal to 1 turns yellow by itself → Is equal to 1 → Fill colour: yellow
Changing the number in a cell changes its colour, because the rule checks the number again → Type 0 in a yellow cell (rule: equal to 1) → yellow goes away
Apply to range: A1:H8, Is equal to 1, then colouring each cell by hand → Colouring each cell by hand is not conditional formatting. A rule should do the colouring when the number matches.
Apply to range: A1:A2, Is equal to 1, Fill: yellow (picture grid is A1:H8) → The range is too small, so the rule only works on two cells and the rest of the grid will not colour.

Key Term

conditional formatting
A rule that colours a cell by itself when its number matches a condition, like a cell equal to 1 turning yellow. Change the number and the colour changes too.

Fill in the Blanks

1. # Colour a cell when it matches 1 Condition: Is equal to 1 Fill: yellow
Hint: Type the name of the condition that checks whether a cell exactly matches a number.
2. # Cells equal to 0 turn white Condition: Is equal to 0 Fill: white
Hint: Type the number that the comment says should make the cell white.
3. # Cells equal to 1 turn yellow Condition: Is equal to 1 Fill: yellow
Hint: Type the fill colour that the comment says the matching cells should get.
4. # The rule covers the grid A1:D4 Range: A1:D4 Condition: Is equal to 1
Hint: Type the cell range the rule applies to, the same block of cells the comment names.
5. Rule: Is equal to 1, fill yellow Type 0 in B2: cell turns white Type 1 in B2: cell turns yellow
Hint: Type the number that matches the rule, so the cell changes to the rule's colour.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A Select the cells A1:H8
B Rule: Is equal to yellow
C Fill colour: Yellow
Line B — The rule checks the number in the cell, so the condition must be a number like 1. Yellow is the fill colour, which is chosen on the next line. It should be 'Rule: Is equal to 1'.
Question 2
A Select the colour B2:F6
B Rule: Is equal to 0
C Fill colour: Blue
Line A — You select the cells the rule applies to first. You choose the colour later. It should be 'Select the cells B2:F6'.
Question 3
A Select the cells A1:E5
B Rule: Is equal to 1
C Fill colour: 1
Line C — The fill colour must be a colour, like Yellow. The number 1 is what the rule looks for in the cell. It should be 'Fill colour: Yellow'.
Question 4
A Click the cells to colour
B Open Conditional formatting
C Choose Is greater than
D Type 1 and pick Yellow
Line C — This rule needs the 'Is equal to' condition so only cells equal to 1 turn yellow. 'Is greater than' would colour other numbers too. It should be 'Choose Is equal to'.
Question 5
A Select just the cell A1
B Rule: Is equal to 1
C Fill colour: Yellow
Line A — The rule only works on the cells you select. To colour every 1 in the grid, select the whole grid A1:D4, not just A1.

Student with a class code? Join your class →