Guide: How To Subtract Numbers in MS Excel using Formula
Excel is a spreadsheet application with a plethora of features. Still, the software doesn’t have a subtraction feature, which seems obvious. As such, Excel users manually enter formulas in the function bar to subtract numbers. These are some of the different ways you can subtract values in Excel spreadsheets.
Subtract by including values in the formula
You don’t need to enter values into spreadsheet cells to subtract numbers. Instead, you can include the values you want to subtract in the formula itself. First select a cell to add the formula to. Then click in the Excel function bar and enter ‘=’ followed by the values you need to subtract. For example, enter “= 25-5” in the function bar and press Enter. The cell of the formula returns the value 20.
Subtract cell references in spreadsheets
However, most Excel users need to subtract numbers entered in spreadsheet columns and rows. To subtract cell values, you must include their row and column references in the formula. For example, enter the values ’345′ and ‘145’ in cells B3 and B4 in a blank Excel spreadsheet, as in the snapshot below.
Select cell B5 and click in the fx bar to enter a formula. Enter the formula ‘= B3-B4’ and press the Return key. B5 now returns the value 200, as shown below.
Subtract one number from every value within a range of cells
If you need to subtract a single value from every number within a range of cells, you can copy the formula to other cells. For example, enter the values ’25 ‘,’ 35 ‘and’ 55 ‘in cells C3: C5. Select cell D3, enter the formula ‘= C3-5’ in the function bar and press the Return key. D3 now subtracts 5 from 25 in cell C3. Copy the formula in D3 to the other cells below it by selecting D3, clicking in the lower right corner of the cell and dragging it over the one below as shown below. Now the cells directly below D3 also subtract 5 from the numbers in C4 and C5.
Subtract the total of a range of cells from a single value
What if you need to subtract a column total for a group of cells from a single value? One way to do that is to enter a SUM function in a cell that adds the range, and then subtract that total with a separate formula. However, you can also subtract the total from a range of cells by including SUM in a formula. For example, enter the values ’45 ‘,’ 55 ‘and’ 75 ‘in cells B7 through B9. Then enter ‘200’ in cell B11. Select cell B12, click in the fx bar and enter ‘= B11-SUM (B7: B9)’ in the formula bar. Cell B12 will then return the value of 25, as shown directly below. That effectively subtracts the total of cells B7: B9 from 200 in cell B11.
Subtract two or more total cell range values
You can also subtract the totals from the range of cells without entering SUM functions in the spreadsheet first. Instead, add and subtract the references to the range of cells to a formula. For example, enter the numbers ’25 ‘,’ 15 ‘and’ 35 ‘in cells C7: C9. Now you can subtract the total of the C7: C9 cell range from the previously entered B7: B9 range. Select C11 as the cell you want to add the formula to, then enter ‘= SUM (B7: B9) -SUM (C7: C9)’ in the function bar. Press Enter to add the function to the spreadsheet, which returns the value 100 in C11. So that’s subtracting the C7: C9 cell range from the B7: B9 cell range, which is otherwise 175-75.
Subtracting percentage values from grades
To subtract a percentage value, such as 50%, from a number, you must enter the value in a cell with percentage format. Then you can add a formula that subtracts the percentage from a number in another cell. Enter the value “150” in cell E3 as an example. You need to convert cell F3 to percentage format by right-clicking the cell and selecting Format Cells> Number> Percentage> OK. Enter ’50’ in F3, which will then be in percent format, as shown directly below.
Now you can add a formula that subtracts 50% from 150. Click on cell G3 and enter the formula ‘= E3- (F3 * E3)’ in the function bar. Cell G3 returns a value of 75, which is 50% of 150. So the formula subtracted 75 from 150.
Subtract values from multiple worksheets
Excel doesn’t limit you to subtracting values within a few worksheets. As such, you can subtract cell numbers in one worksheet from those in another. For example, enter “55” in cell B14 in Sheet1 of a spreadsheet. Then click the Sheet2 tab at the bottom of the application window to open a blank spreadsheet. Enter ‘5’ in cell B3 of Sheet2. So this formula subtracts B3 in Sheet2 from B14 in Sheet1. Now click on B4 in Sheet2 to add the formula to that cell. Enter the formula ‘= Sheet1! B14-Sheet2! B3 ‘in the Excel function bar and press Return. Cell B4 now subtracts 5 in Sheet2’s B3 from the value of B14 on Sheet1. The cell will return a value of, as you probably guessed, 50.
So, these are some of the subtraction formulas that subtract values in Excel spreadsheets. You can copy the above formulas to your spreadsheets with the shortcut keys Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V and edit their cell references as needed. Check out this Tech Junkie guide if you need to subtract dates in Excel.
How To Subtract Numbers in MS Excel using Formula: benefits
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