Guided Notes
Simple & Complex Formulas
Operators, building and editing formulas, order of operations, and reading formula errors.
Building a simple formula
Slide 1 / 5Every formula starts with =, followed by values, cell references, and operators. Excel's math operators are + (add), - (subtract), * (multiply), / (divide), and ^ (exponent).
Prefer cell references over typed numbers: =B2+B3 updates automatically when B2 or B3 changes, while =120+45 never will.
Point-and-click is the fastest way to build one: type =, click the first cell, type an operator, click the next cell, and press Enter. The result shows in the cell; the formula shows in the Formula Bar.
| Operator | Meaning | Example | Result (B2=10, B3=4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| + | Add | =B2+B3 | 14 |
| - | Subtract | =B2-B3 | 6 |
| * | Multiply | =B2*B3 | 40 |
| / | Divide | =B2/B3 | 2.5 |
| ^ | Exponent | =B2^2 | 100 |