SUM function

The Excel SUM function is a powerful tool that helps you quickly add up a range of numbers in a spreadsheet. It’s like having a virtual calculator at your disposal, making your calculations much easier and more efficient.

Syntax

=SUM(number1, number2, …)

Arguments

number1The first number you want to add.
[number2](Optional) Additional numbers you want to add. You can include as many as you need, separating them with commas.

How to Use

Using the SUM function is as simple as entering it into a cell and specifying the numbers or cell references you want to add. Let’s look at a few examples:

Example 1:

If you want to add the numbers in cells A1, A2, and A3, you can use the following formula:

Example 2:

You can also add a range of cells. For instance, if you want to add all the numbers in cells A1 through A5, you can do it like this:

Example 3:

If you have a mix of individual numbers and cell references, that’s perfectly fine. Here’s an example:

And that’s it! The SUM function will calculate the total for you, making it super easy to handle various mathematical operations in your Excel worksheets.

Tomasz Decker is an Excel specialist, skilled in data analysis and financial modeling.