Definition: A symbol that represents an arithmetic operation in an Excel
spreadsheet formula. The four common operators are: addition ( + ), division ( / ), subtraction ( - ), and multiplication ( * ).
Formulas in Excel follow the standard order of operations (BEDMAS). With this ordering, any operation enclosed in Brackets is carried out first followed by Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition and then Subtraction.
To make the operators easier to use, they are all located on the outside row of the keyboard's number pad - see the image to the right. Just make sure that you have the Num Lock button on the keyboard turned on before trying to use them.
Also Known As: operator
Examples: Use the mathematical operator for addition, the plus sign ( + ), between the
cell references in the formula to find the sum of the data.
