Tips for adding in Excel you need to know

Addition is a basic math operation in Excel, and it's usually quite simple. When it comes to addition in Excel, many people often think of the SUM function. However, in reality, there are many other tips around addition operations that if you are proficient, they will help a lot in your work. Here are a few general Excel tips that you should be aware of.

Addition is within 1 cell

The easiest way to perform a mathematical operation in a cell is to simply use the plus sign (+). Just enter the basic formula: = x + y. This is the simplest and fastest method for basic addition operations within a cell.

Add 2 cells in Excel

Adding 2 cells is quite similar to adding a range of cells, but you will not type the whole number in the cell, but only the names of the cells to add, for example: = A2 + A3. The beauty of this formula will be automatically updated whenever the data in the cell changes.

SUM function

Speaking of addition in Excel, it is impossible not to mention the SUM function. There are 2 ways to use this simple calculation function.

Implement the SUM function with Formula Builder

1. First, select the cell and navigate to the Formulas tab (formula), then click I nsert Function .

2. You should now see the Formula Builder menu, select SUM .

3. At this point, you will see 2 items where you can enter numbers as well as plus signs if you need to add more values.

4. Finally, press Done and the results will be automatically filled into the box.

Implement the SUM function without using the Formula Builder

1. Start with the equal sign, then enter SUM, and be careful not to forget the opening parenthesis and closing parentheses.

2. Pay attention to the cells you plan to assign, and separate each cell with a comma. In the illustrative example, the formula used is = SUM (A2, A3).

3. Press enter and you will see your cell is filled with the sum value.

Note, this function can also be done with the format = SUM (first cell: the last cell), which allows you to quickly calculate a large number of consecutive rows or columns. For example, using the formula = SUM (A2: A7) will give you the result of the addition between all numbers from A2 to A7.