What Is the Addition Formula in Excel?
Microsoft Excel is the perfect program to perform basic and complex mathematical tasks. You can use various Excel functions to calculate or analyze numbers and make professional reports.
The addition is one of the most commonly used functions of Microsoft Excel. Read on to find out what is the addition formula in Excel and how to use it?
What Is the Addition Formula in Excel?
Excel doesn’t come with a dedicated function for addition. Instead, there are many different ways to perform mathematical additions in Excel.
The most widely used Excel function for totaling numbers is the SUM function. There are 8 different variants of the SUM function for endless possibilities, like SUMIF, SUM, SUMPRODUCT, and so on.
You can also use the + operator to add numbers. However, this method has less usage since operator-based addition is a manual process.
Addition of Numbers Using the + Operator
If you need quick and basic addition in Excel, try these steps:
- Select the cell where you want to perform an addition.
- Press equals sign (=) to initiate the Excel formula.
- Click on the cell that you want to include in the addition formula.
- Press the plus sign (+) and click on another cell to add to the formula.
- Add cells followed by a plus sign (+). Keep repeating the step until you’ve included all the values or cell addresses.
- Close the formula with a closing bracket once done adding numbers.
- Hit Enter to execute the addition function and display a total value.
If you feel this process is lengthy and tedious, move on to the next method.
Addition of Numbers Using the SUM Function
Here is how you can automate mathematical addition using the SUM function:
- Go to the cell where you want the sum value.
- Begin the formula by typing in equals (=).
- Type sum and a context menu will appear with all the SUM variants.
- Double-click on the first result, the basic SUM.
- Enter numbers or cell addresses separated by commas.
- Close the bracket once you’re done adding all the cell addresses or numbers.
- Hit Enter to get the total value.
So far, you’ve found out the utility of the SUM function in Excel for additional purposes. But, what will you do if you’re dealing with a huge database of numbers that need an addition?
Addition of Entire Columns Using SUM Function
Instead of adding numbers or cell addresses in the SUM function, you can type in short syntaxes to get the total values of the entire column. Here is how:
- Type equals (=) in a cell and then type in sum.
- Now, select the SUM function from the context menu.
- Type A:A to sum up the entire column A. Change the letter when you try the formula for another column.
- Close the formula by placing a closing bracket.
- Hit Enter to get the desired total value of the entire column A.
You can also apply this formula for adding an entire row. Replace A:A with 1:1 and so on.
Final Words
You’ve, so far, seen an in-depth discussion and use cases of additions in Excel. If you follow along with these instructions, you can confidently answer the question if someone asks you what is the addition formula in Excel.
Mostly Excel experts use the SUM function and the + operator to add numbers in Excel. However, if you need to calculate hours, follow the add hours in Microsoft Excel tutorial.
