There are two main ways to add numbers in Excel: using the plus (+) operator or using the SUM function. Using the plus (+) operator:
- Select a cell and type =, then select or type the cells/numbers to add separated by + signs.
- Example: =A1+A2 or =5+5, then press Enter to get the sum.
Using the SUM function:
- Select a cell and type =SUM().
- Inside the parentheses, add the range of cells you want to sum, e.g. =SUM(A1:A5).
- Press Enter to get the total sum of the selected range.
Additionally, you can use the AutoSum feature which automatically inserts a SUM function for a column or row of numbers. For example, to add numbers in cells A1 to A5, you can:
- Type =A1+A2+A3+A4+A5 and press Enter, or
- Type =SUM(A1:A5) and press Enter, or
- Select a cell below or next to the range and click AutoSum on the ribbon, then hit Enter.
This covers adding numbers manually, by cell references, or using functions for efficiency in Excel.
