How to divide in Excel: a simple tutorial
Dividing in Excel is a tricky process. Due to the multiple difficulties students face when trying to divide in Excel, most of them have resulted in acquiring help from the internet. Hence, it is easy to bump into searches online such as, ‘How to divide in Excel, how to do division in Excel, the Excel division formula, or how to divide.’
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Do you want to learn how to divide in Excel? Well, you came to the right place. We offer you a comprehensive yet straightforward step by step guide on how to do divide on Excel.
How to divide in Excel
From kindergarten, an individual is taught that the primary way to learn how to do division is by using the division sign. In mathematics, the division symbol is represented by an obelus symbol (÷). However, this is not the divide function in Excel. There is no divide function in this Microsoft program. In this Microsoft program, the divide symbol is a forward slash (/).
How to do division in Excel
Division in Excel requires an individual to develop an expression like =a/b. The expression should contain no spaces. The a/b expression means:
- a is the dividend – meaning a is the number that you want to divide
- b is the divisor – meaning this is the number by which the dividend (a) is to be divided
- Quotient – this is the result a person acquires after the division calculation
Do you want to learn how to divide in Excel? Are you struggling with dividing functions? Well, here are the top tips to know about the division formulas in this Microsoft program:
- The formulas start with the equal sign ( = ). This is one fact that most people trying to learn division in Excel should note.
- The equal sign is inserted in the cell that you want the answer to be displayed. It goes to mean that you should not insert the equal sign in another cell where you do not want the answer.
- The symbol of division is the forward slash ( / ). Most people are always online trying to search for the division formula in Excel. Well, it is the forward slash.
- Complete this formula by pressing the Enter button on your keyboard. After you have inserted the figures that you want to divide, you do not wait for the answer to display automatically. You must press the enter button for the answer to reflect in the cell you want.
How to divide a cell in Excel
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One of the major things you need to know when learning how to divide in Excel is how to divide a cell. If you need to divide two cells in this program, here are a couple of things you need to know:
- You have to use the divide symbol, which in this case is the forward slash.
- In addition to using the division symbol, you have to use the supply cell references instead of numbers
For example:
If you want to divide cell A2 by 5, the Excel formula for division, in this case, will be =A2/5
Next, if you are going to divide cell A2 by cell B2, then the Excel divide formula to use will be =A2/B2
If you need to divide multiple cells successively, then you ought to type cell references, which are separated by the division symbol.
For example:
If you want to divide the figure in A2 by the number in B2, and then divide the answer acquired by the number in C2, then here is the formula you ought to use: =A2/B2/C2
How to divide columns in Microsoft Excel
The most straightforward way to do this is by copying the division formula down the column. Another way to perform the division of the columns is by using the array formula.
READ ALSO: How to split cells in Excel: An easy tutorial
Dividing two columns merely by copying a formula
To achieve this, an individual simply needs to do the following:
- Divide the two cells that are in the topmost row. One can, for example, use: =A2/B2
- Afterwards, ones proceed to insert the formula in the first cell (it could be C2). Having done this, one should double-click the green square located in the right corner at the lower end of the cell so that one can copy the formula down the column.
How to divide numbers by using cell references
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In such an instance, rather than typing numbers directly in a formula, one ought to go ahead and use cell references. For example, one can use cell references like A2 and A3. These cell references refer to the figures that you want to divide and divide by.
How to calculate percentages using the division formulas
A percentage refers to a fraction or decimal that is acquired after a person has made a calculation, which involves dividing the numerator by the denominator, and then multiplying the answer by 100. The formula of the equation is:
= (numerator/denominator)*100
In case an individual acquires a result, or quotient from a division that is less than one, Microsoft Excel tends to represent the result as a decimal. When one changes the default formatting style, this will automatically represent the result into a percentage.
How to avoid the #DIV/O! formula errors during division
The major error that most students make during their division operations in Microsoft Excel is the #DIV/O! error value. The #DIV/O! error is noted when the denominator in this formula equals to zero. This is not acceptable in ordinary arithmetic. The #DIV/O! error is noted when an individual enters a wrong cell reference into a formula. The error may also occur if a person uses the fill handle and copies the formula to another location.
Are you looking to learn how to divide in Excel? This article has provided you with essential tips. The steps are quite easy and will help you avoid getting inaccurate results or the #DIV/O! error.
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