Operations & Formulas

All mathematical operations should be completed using formulas in Google Sheets. This is important for a couple of reasons:

1. Computing all functions/operations in google sheets uses the full power of the tool

2. Other people that review the sheet on their own can click on values and see the formula to understand where the solution came from

Almost anything can be calculated using formulas. A formula is entered in any cell by starting with an equals sign (=). The order in which a formula must be written is called the syntax. More complex formulas have greater variability in the syntax. Read below for the syntax for computing different mathematical operations.

The examples below show how to use operations using values in the formulas as well as values entered in cells. It is best practice, when possible, to use cell values.