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i + USING FORMULAS TO PERFORM CALCULATION
Functions are built-in formula in Excel used to perform both arithmetic and non-arithmetic
tasks. Excel contains more than 400 built-in functions that can be applied directly or as
part of a formula. A function consists of a 'Name' and 'Arguments'. For example, a formula
such as A6=A1+A2+A3+A4+A5 can be simplified using the SUM function with a cell range:
A6=SUM(A1:A5). The 'Name' refers to the function, indicating the type of operation, while the
'Arguments' specify the values or range of cells on which the operation is applied, enclosed
within parentheses (i.e., the Name represents the function, and the Arguments represent the
data on which the function operates).
To show how formulas work, we'll begin with a simple exercise by selecting blank cell A1.
Then type = 5 + 5, and press the Enter key. After you press the Enter key, Excel performs the
calculation and display the result as 10 in cell A1.
Enter some more formulas in other cells and see what results are shown by Excel.
1. =8 – 5 2. =8 * 5 3. =8/5 4. =8 ^ 5
The results will be 3, 40, 1.6, and 32768, respectively. Some formulas based on the BEDMAS rule
can be entered as:
1. =(8 + 5) – (2 + 3) ^ 2 2. =(9/3) * (4 ^ 2) – 5
Info Byte
Excel follows the BEDMAS rule for doing mathematical calculations, where B stands for
Brackets, E for Exponentiation, D for Division, M for Multiplication, A for Addition, and S
for Subtraction.
You can also use cell addresses to perform calculations in the following way:
Notice that when cell C1 is selected, the
Formula bar shows the formula you just typed.
You can also calculate the sum of adjacent
cells by pressing the Alt+= keys together after
selecting the cells.
• What appears in the cell is the result.
• What appears in the formula bar is the
formula, which is used to get the result.
The elements of a formula are:
• References: A cell or a range of cells that you want to use in your calculation.
• Operators: Symbols (+, -, *, /, ^, $, %, etc.) that specify the calculations to be performed.
• Constants: Numbers or text values that do not change.
i + ORDER OF OPERATION
When performing calculations using a formula, Excel follows certain rules of precedence:
• Excel calculates expressions within parentheses ‘(‘ , ’)’ first.
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