According to most people, excel is used to enter and store large data. To others, excel is used to calculate arithmetic problems. There are two methods of adding in Excel. The first entails using the SUM function, while the other is the Autosum function.
How to sum in Excel by using the SUM function
The sum function in Excel is used to add data to Excel worksheets. The data can be in rows, columns, or specific patterns. To use the SUM function, enter the formula =sum (). The steps below will help you sum.
1. You need to put the formula “=sum ()” where you want the results to appear.
2. Select the range of cells you want to sum up, for example, =sum (A3:A9).
3. Click “Enter.”
The summation of the data in the above cells will appear where you want. This method is used to add data in rows and columns.
How to sum using the Autosum function in Excel
Autosum in Excel is an option that automatically sums up the data in a range of cells. These cells can be in rows or columns. The Autosum option is found on the home tab in the Editing group. Following these three steps, you will be able to Autosum in Excel.
1. Select the cell where the results appear if it is in a column just below the last value.
2. Select the range of cells you want to sum up.
3. Click the “Autosum option” in the “Home tab.”
4. Press “Enter.”
The total of the values in the cells you selected will be displayed.
There is a shortcut method to achieve the same results. This shortcut automatically adds up the values of the selected cells. You can use your keyboard to press the equal (=) key while holding the Alt key.
Sometimes you may want to add some values by month. These data can be total sales per month or even total profit and returns per month. Here is how you can sum these values in Excel per month.
1. Enter the data into your Excel worksheet. That is the dates and the values to be calculated.
2. Extract the month from the dates. By using the formula “=month ()” in the cell, you would like the month to appear. The results of this formula will be dragged down to fill every cell that remains in that column, for example, from C2 to C6.
3. Select the specific months using the formula “=unique ().” This formula gives the list of particular months in a different column. Example =unique (C2:C6).
4. Calculate the monthly sum using the formula “=SUMIF (range, criterion, sum_ range).” The range is the months from C2 to C6, the criterion is the unique months, and the sum _ range is the values to be summed up.
These steps will enable you to get the sum of the data or values for each month. That is the total value for January on its own, February up to December. It is that simple four steps, and you are done.