Lesson 2: Simple Formulas Show /en/excelformulas/about-this-tutorial/content/ IntroductionOne of the most powerful features in Excel is the ability to calculate numerical information using formulas. Just like a calculator, Excel can add, subtract, multiply, and divide. In this lesson, we'll show you how to use cell references to create simple formulas. Optional: Download our practice workbook. Watch the video below to learn how to create formulas in Excel. Mathematical operatorsExcel uses standard operators for formulas, such as a plus sign for addition (+), a minus sign for subtraction (-), an asterisk for multiplication (*), a forward slash for division (/), and a caret (^) for exponents. All formulas in Excel must begin with an equals sign (=). This is because the cell contains, or is equal to, the formula and the value it calculates. Understanding cell referencesWhile you can create simple formulas in Excel manually (for example, =2+2 or =5*5), most of the time you will use cell addresses to create a formula. This is known as making a cell reference. Using cell references will ensure that your formulas are always accurate because you can change the value of referenced cells without having to rewrite the formula. By combining a mathematical operator with cell references, you can create a variety of simple formulas in Excel. Formulas can also include a combination of cell references and numbers, as in the examples below: To create a formula:In our example below, we'll use a simple formula and cell references to calculate a budget.
If the result of a formula is too large to be displayed in a cell, it may appear as pound signs (#######) instead of a value. This means the column is not wide enough to display the cell content. Simply increase the column width to show the cell content. Modifying values with cell referencesThe true advantage of cell references is that they allow you to update data in your worksheet without having to rewrite formulas. In the example below, we've modified the value of cell B1 from $1,200 to $1,800. The formula in B3 will automatically recalculate and display the new value in cell B3. Excel will not always tell you if your formula contains an error, so it's up to you to check all of your formulas. To learn how to do this, you can read the Double-Check Your Formulas lesson from our Excel Formulas tutorial. To create a formula using the point-and-click method:Rather than typing cell addresses manually, you can point and click on the cells you want to include in your formula. This method can save a lot of time and effort when creating formulas. In our example below, we'll create a formula to calculate the cost of ordering several boxes of plastic silverware.
Formulas can also be copied to adjacent cells with the fill handle, which can save a lot of time and effort if you need to perform the same calculation multiple times in a worksheet. Review our lesson on Relative and Absolute Cell References to learn more. To edit a formula:Sometimes you may want to modify an existing formula. In the example below, we've entered an incorrect cell address in our formula, so we'll need to correct it.
If you change your mind, you can press the Esc key on your keyboard to avoid accidentally making changes to your formula. To show all of the formulas in a spreadsheet, you can hold the Ctrl key and press ` (grave accent). The grave accent key is usually located in the top-left corner of the keyboard. You can press Ctrl+` again to switch back to the normal view. Challenge!
/en/excelformulas/complex-formulas/content/ What is the starting sign of a basic Excel formula?Simple formulas always start with an equal sign (=), followed by constants that are numeric values and calculation operators such as plus (+), minus (-), asterisk(*), or forward slash (/) signs. Let's take an example of a simple formula. On the worksheet, click the cell in which you want to enter the formula.
What causes Excel not to Calculate?Cause: The cell is formatted as Text, which causes Excel to ignore any formulas. This could be directly due to the Text format, or is particularly common when importing data from a CSV or Notepad file. Fix: Change the format of the cell(s) to General or some other format.
What does an sign mean before a formula in Excel?In a nutshell, using the $ sign before the row and column coordinates makes an absolute cell reference that won't change. Without the $ sign, the reference is relative and it will change. If you are writing a formula for a single cell, you can go with any reference type and get the formula right anyway.
What does Excel treat your formula as when you do not start it with an equal to sign?Start every function with the equal sign (=)
If you omit the equal sign, what you type may be displayed as text or as a date. For example, if you type SUM(A1:A10), Excel displays the text string SUM(A1:A10) and does not perform the calculation.
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