Excel SUM Function

The SUM function provides a quick way to sum columns or rows of numbers in an Excel worksheet.

The syntax for the SUM function is:

=SUM ( Number1, Number2, ... Number255 )

Up to 255 numbers can be entered into the function.

Example: Sum a Column of Data

For help with this example, see the image above.

1. Enter the following numbers into cells D1 to D6: 114, 165, 178, 143, 130, 165
   
   
2. Click on cell D7 - the location where the results will be displayed
   
   
3. Click on the Formulas tab of the ribbon menu
   
   
4. Choose Math & Trig from the ribbon to open the function drop down list
   
   
5. Click on SUM in the list to bring up the function's dialog box
   
   
6. In the dialog box, click on the Number1 line
   
   
7. Drag select cells D1 and D6 to enter the range of data into the dialog box
   
   
8. Click OK
   
   
9. The answer 895 should appear in cell D7
   
   
10. Click on cell D7 and the complete function = SUM (D1 : D6) appears in the formula bar above the worksheet

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