Enter a formula that refers to values in other cells
In a sheet that contains columns of numbers, click the cell where you want the formula results to appear.
Type an equal sign =
Click the first cell that you want to include in your calculation.
Type an operator. An operator is the kind of calculation that the formula performs. For example, the * (asterisk) operator multiplies numbers. In this example, use the / (forward slash) operator to divide. At this point your formula should look like this:
Click the next cell that you want to include in your calculation. Now your formula should look like this:
Press RETURN.
The result of the calculation appears in the cell.
Tip: To quickly apply a formula to the next cells down in the column, double-click the fill handle on the first cell that contains the formula.
Enter a formula that contains a function
Excel Manual Calculation Hot Key
In a sheet that contains a range of numbers, click the empty cell where you want the formula results to appear.
Type an equal sign and a function, for example =MIN. MIN finds the smallest number in a range of cells.
Type an opening parenthesis, select the range of cells that you want to include in the formula, and then type a closing parenthesis.
Press RETURN.
In our example, the MIN function returns 11, the smallest number in cells A1 through C4.
Tips
When you enter a formula in a cell, the formula also appears in the formula bar.