Mathematical operators in Excel
Excel mathematical operators are used in arithmetic formulas. Excel mathematical operators are used to perform arithmetic operations is Excel formulas.
Following table lists important mathematical operators in Excel.
| Mathematical operator | Description |
|---|---|
| + | Addition operator |
| - | Subtraction operator |
| - | Negation operator |
| * | Multiplication operator |
| / | Division operator |
| % | Percentage operator |
| ^ | Exponentiation operator |
Following sections explain how to use mathematical operators in Excel formulas.
Excel Addition mathematical operator (+)
Excel Addition mathematical operator is used to add numbers. Following example shows how to use Excel Addition mathematical operator (+) to add two numbers (20 and 20) in an Excel formula.
The addition result of 20+20 is calculated as 40, as in below screenshot.
Excel Subtraction mathematical operator (-)
Excel Subtraction mathematical operator is used to subtract numbers. Following example shows how to use Excel Subtraction mathematical operator (-) to subtract two numbers (40 and 20) in an Excel formula.
The subtraction result of 40-20 is calculated as 20, as in below screenshot.
Excel Negation mathematical operator (-)
Excel Negation mathematical operator is used to mention a number as a negative number. Excel Negation operator is the same as the Excel Subtraction operator. Following example shows how to use Excel Negation mathematical operator (-) to mention a number as a negative number in an Excel formula.
The addition result of -20 and +40 is calculated as +20, as in below screenshot.
Excel Multiplication mathematical operator (*)
Excel Multiplication mathematical operator is used to multiply numbers. Following example shows how to use Excel Multiplication mathematical operator (*) to multiply two numbers (10 and 10) in an Excel formula.
The multiplication result of 10*10 is calculated as 100, as in below screenshot.
Excel Division mathematical operator (/)
Excel Division mathematical operator is used to divide numbers. Following example shows how to use Excel Division mathematical operator (/) to divide two numbers (100 with 10) in an Excel formula.
The division result of 100/10 is calculated as 10, as in below screenshot.
Excel Percentage mathematical operator (%)
Excel Percentage mathematical operator is used to find the percentage of numbers. Following example shows how to use Excel Percentage mathematical operator (%) to find the Percentage of a number in an Excel formula.
For example - If you want to find 50% of 500, you may use Excel Percentage mathematical operator as shown in below screen shot.
50% of 500 is calculated as 250, as in below screenshot.
Excel Exponentiation mathematical operator (^)
The Excel Exponentiation operator (^) returns the result of raising the first number to the power of the second number.
For example, the formula =x^y returns the result of raising "x" to the power of "y".
Following example shows how to use Excel Exponentiation mathematical operator (^) in an Excel formula. Following screenshot shows how to find 4th power of 5. Note that the 4th power of 5 is 5 multiplied 4 times, which is equal to 625 (5*5*5*5 = 625).
The 4th power of 5 (5*5*5*5) is calculated as 625, as shown in below screenshot.
