Excel - Arithmetic Operators

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Arithmetic Operators are used to conduct fundamental operations like addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division in Microsoft Excel.

There are six primary Arithmetic operations to perform complex mathematical calculations.

• Addition − It permits users to sum numbers. It is denoted by (+) sign.
• Subtraction − It allows users to subtract numbers. It is denoted by a (-) sign.
• Multiplication − It permits users to multiply the numbers collectively. It is denoted by the asterisk(*) sign
• Division − It permits you to divide a number by the other numbers. The division symbol is (/).
• Exponentiation − It permits you to raise a specific numeric value to the exponents power. The (^) sign denotes it.
• Percent − It permits you to apply a percentage in numbers. The (%) sign denotes it.

Arithmetic Operators in Microsoft Excel

Heres a detailed guide on how to use these operators effectively −

Addition

The addition operators(+) allow you to sum two or more numbers. You can directly write the numbers preceding the = sign and enter the + sign between these numbers. For example, suppose you have three numbers: 233,433,533, which is written in the C3, C4, and C5 cells. You may type the = sign, write the expression (233+433+533) in a C7 cell, and press Enter. Here, the addition + sign is applied between these numbers to obtain the sum of these numbers.

You may double-click on the specific cell and can directly write the values in an addition expression like =233+433+533 in a targeted cell as shown below −

Subtraction

Subtraction allows you to perform the subtraction between two or more numeric values through (-) operators. The remaining value is obtained while doing subtraction between two numbers. For example, you have a total of Rs 1000 and Rs 250 spent on grocery shopping. The leftover amount is calculated by subtracting the total amount from the expenditure amount like =(1000-250) =750.

Example

Henry's total expenditures are 13000; the other expenditures are given in the D3:D6 cell. To obtain the remaining amount, enter the expression =13000-(D3+D4+D5+D6) in the D7 cell.

Therefore, the remaining amount is 4400.

Multiplication

Multiplication facilitates users in performing multiplications of small/ large integer numbers within a few seconds. For example, enter the formula "=D3*D5" in a targeted cell where the asterisk (*) symbol is placed between the D3 and D5 cells to perform multiplication between two numbers defined in the D3 and D5.

Example

The two numbers are given in the C2 and D2 cells. You can write the expression "=C2*D2" in the D4 cell to perform the multiplication between these numbers. You can use the asterisk (*) symbol from the keyboard.

Division

Division allows you to divide a number from another number by placing a division symbol (/) between two numbers. For example, the monthly salary is calculated by dividing the total package by the month's number using the division operator. An employee holds a package of 12,50,000. To calculate its monthly salary, write the expression = =D2/D3 in the D4 cell and press Enter.

Therefore, the monthly salary of the employee is 104166.6667.

Exponentiation

The caret (^) operator is considered as an exponential operator, which performs repeated multiplication like a number raised to the other numeric values power. For example, you can calculate the square of the number 2 by writing the expression =2^2 into a targeted cell. In the below screenshot, two integer numbers are specified in the D2 and D3 cell. Enter the expression "=D2^D3" in the D4 cell and press the Enter.

When you multiply the 4 three times, it gives you 64.

Percent

To get the percent of a number, you can type the =sign and the number followed by the percent operator like "=29%". Alternatively, you can use the division operator between the number and total multiplied by 100. For instance, the discount rate and percentage of actual targets against the assigned sales targets are determined.

The mathematical notation for calculating the percentage is given below −

=(N / Total) * 100

That means what percentage N is of the total.

Example

A D2 cell comprises a numeric value, and a percent number is specified in a D3 cell. The task is to calculate the 40% of a given number. Enter the formula "=D2*D3" in the D4 cell and hit the Enter.

Order of Precedence for Arithmetic Operations in Microsoft Excel

As you calculate the complex mathematical expression through the BODMAS rule. In Excel, you need to solve the expression through the order of precedence as given below −

• Parenthesis − First, you need to evaluate the expression enclosed in the brackets, as it is the highest priority.
• Exponents − Exponentiation has a second-order priority calculated through the exponent operator ^.
• Division and Multiplication − In Microsoft Excel, the division and multiplication operations are performed from left to right.
• Addition and Subtraction − These operations are evaluated from the order left to right.