Formulas and Functions are two of the most important features in Excel, and they allow users to perform complex calculations and manipulate data in a variety of ways.
Formulas and Functions are often used interchangeably in Excel, but they are two different concepts.
A Formula is a combination of numbers, cell references, and operators that manipulate data in a cell or range of cells.
A Function is a pre-built formula that performs a specific task, such as finding the average of a range or looking up a value in a table. Functions are built into Excel and accessible through the Function Library or Formula Builder.
For more information and examples read What is the difference between an excel function and a formula?
Entering a Formula or Function in Excel
Excel makes it easy to enter formulas or functions to perform calculations on data in a spreadsheet.
Here’s how to enter a formula or function in Excel:
- Select the cell where you want the formula or function to appear.
- Type the equals sign (=) to start the formula or function.
- Enter the cell references, numbers, and operators you want to use in the formula. For example, to add the values in cells A1 and B1, type =A1+B1. =SUM(A1+B1) if using a function
- Press Enter to complete the formula or function.
The result of the calculation will appear in the selected cell.
Excel order of operations
It’s important to note that Excel uses a specific order of operations when evaluating formulas and functions.
The order of operations is as follows:
- Parentheses
- Exponents
- Multiplication and Division (performed left to right)
- Addition and Subtraction (performed left to right)
To ensure that your formulas and functions are evaluated correctly, you should use parentheses to indicate the order in which operations should be performed.
For example, the formula =5+2*3 would evaluate to 11 (because Excel performs multiplication before addition).
Yet, the formula =(5+2)*3 would evaluate to 21 (because the addition is performed first, then the multiplication).
In addition to basic arithmetic operations, Excel supports a wide range of functions that can be used in formulas to perform more complex calculations.
These functions include statistical functions, financial functions, date and time functions, and many others.
Editing a Formula or Function in Excel
Sometimes, you may need to edit a formula or function in Excel to correct a mistake, update a reference, or modify the calculation.
Here’s how to edit a formula or function in Excel:
- Select the cell containing the formula or function that you want to edit.
- Click on the formula bar at the top of the Excel window to activate the formula for editing.
- Make the necessary changes to the formula or function. You can add or delete cell references, change operators, or modify the function arguments.
- Press Enter to complete the edited formula.
The result of the calculation will be updated in the selected cell.
Correcting Formula Errors
It’s important to be careful when editing formulas in Excel, as even small mistakes can cause the formula to return incorrect results.
To avoid errors, you should double-check your changes before pressing Enter.
You can use the Formula Auditing tools to trace the precedents and dependents of the formula. To ensure that it is still referencing the correct cells.
Formula Auditing tools can be found in the formulas tab in the ribbon.
Another helpful feature when editing formulas or functions in Excel is the Formula Builder.
You access it by clicking on the little “fx” icon to the left of the formula bar.
This tool provides a list of available functions and their arguments and can help you select the correct function and syntax for your needs.
Copy/Paste a Formula in Excel
Copying and pasting formulas in Excel can save time and effort when you need to apply the same calculation to multiple cells or ranges.
Here’s how to copy and paste a formula in Excel:
- Select the cell containing the formula that you want to copy.
- Press Ctrl+C or right-click and choose Copy from the context menu to copy the formula to the clipboard.
- Select the cell or range where you want to paste the formula.
- Press Ctrl+V or right-click and choose Paste from the context menu to paste the formula into the selected cell(s).
When you paste a formula in Excel, it will automatically adjust the cell references to match the new location.
For example, if your original formula is =A1+B1 and you paste it into cell C2, the formula will become =C1+D1, where C1 and D1 are the cells immediately above and to the left of C2.
Formula Absolute Reference
You can also use relative and absolute references to control how Excel adjusts the cell references when you copy and paste formulas.
Relative references are the default, and they change based on the relative position of the original and destination cells.
Absolute references, on the other hand, remain fixed and do not change when you copy and paste formulas.
You can create an absolute reference by adding a dollar sign ($) before the column letter or row number, like this: $A$1.
By mastering the basics of copying and pasting formulas in Excel. Using the available options for adjusting cell references, you can create complex calculations. Then you can manipulate data with ease and efficiency.
This guide is to help cover the basics of Formulas and Functions. Yet, if you want to learn more head over to my basic excel page. This is the perfect place to learn whether you are a beginner to excel or an expert there is something to learn.
If you prefer to watch excel demonstrations then I have put together a YouTube channel that is well worth checking out if a video is your thing.