Subtracting in Excel
Related article: Subtract Dates in Excel.
To subtract two or more numbers in Excel you need to create a formula. Two important points to remember about Excel formulas:
- formulas in Excel always begin with the equal sign ( = )
- the equal sign always goes in the cell where you want the answer to go
Use Cell References in Formulas
Even though you can add numbers directly to a formula, it is much better to add the references or addresses of the cells containing the numbers you want to subtract. If you use the cell references rather than the actual data, later, if you need to change the data in either cell, the results of the formula will update automatically without you having to rewrite the formula.
Setting Up the Subtraction Formula
Note: For help with this example, see the image to the right.
As an example, lets create a formula in cell C1 that will subtract the contents of cell B1 from cell A1.
Our formula:
=A1 - B1
Our data:
- add the number 20 in cell A1
- add the number 10 in cell B1
Formula Steps
To subtract 10 from 20 and have the answer appear in cell C1:
- Type an equal sign in cell C1.
- Click on cell A1 with the mouse pointer.
- Type a minus sign ( - ) in cell C1.
- Click on cell B1 with the mouse pointer.
- Press the ENTER key on the keyboard.
- The answer 10 should appear in cell C1.
To expand your formula to include additional operations - such as addition, multiplication, or more subtractions - just continue to add the correct mathematical operator followed by the cell reference containing your data.
Note: Before you mix different mathematical operations, be sure you understand the order of operations that Excel follows when evaluating a formula.
