How to add up a column with SUM
SUM adds every number in a range. Learn how to write it, and how a range that is one row short gives a wrong total.
In this room: 3 tasks, 9 questions
- What SUM does2 questions
- Colons and commas3 questions
- Getting the range right4 questions
SUM adds up every number in a range. =SUM(C2:C6) adds the five cells from C2 to C6.
It is shorter and safer than =C2+C3+C4+C5+C6. It is also easy to see where the range starts and ends.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day | Orders | Sales |
| 2 | Mon | 14 | 312.50 |
| 3 | Tue | 9 | 198.00 |
| 4 | Wed | 11 | 240.75 |
| 5 | Thu | 16 | 365.25 |
| 6 | Fri | 10 | 221.50 |
| 7 | Total |
Answer the questions below
1 more question follows in this task.
A colon means every cell from the first to the last. C2:C6 is five cells.
A comma means and. =SUM(C2,C6) adds C2 and C6 only, and skips the cells between them.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day | Orders | Sales |
| 2 | Mon | 14 | 312.50 |
| 3 | Tue | 9 | 198.00 |
| 4 | Wed | 11 | 240.75 |
| 5 | Thu | 16 | 365.25 |
| 6 | Fri | 10 | 221.50 |
| 7 | Total |
Answer the questions below
2 more questions follow in this task.
Most wrong totals come from a range that stops a row too soon. Check the first and the last cell of the range every time.
SUM skips text and empty cells. A heading inside the range does no harm.
A formula must not include its own cell. =SUM(C2:C7) typed in C7 is a circular reference, and Excel and Google Sheets both flag it as a mistake.
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day | Orders | Sales |
| 2 | Mon | 14 | 312.50 |
| 3 | Tue | 9 | 198.00 |
| 4 | Wed | 11 | 240.75 |
| 5 | Thu | 16 | 365.25 |
| 6 | Fri | 10 | 221.50 |
| 7 | Total |
Answer the questions below
3 more questions follow in this task.