This article shows you how to multiply numeric values using Microsoft Excel. You can perform the mathematical product of two or more numbers by using a single cell on the worksheet or by using the values stored in two or more cells.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Multiplication Within a Single Cell
Step 1. Launch Microsoft Excel
Select the corresponding application icon with the white "X" on a green background.
- If you are using the Windows version of Excel you will need to choose the option Blank workbook or New one then Blank workbook if you are using a Mac.
- If you need to work on an existing document, double-click the file icon to view its contents within Excel.
Step 2. Select a cell
This will highlight it and you will have the option to enter the formula to perform the multiplication.
Step 3. Type the = symbol into the chosen cell
All Excel formulas must necessarily begin with the mathematical symbol of equality.
Step 4. Enter the first factor of the multiplication
The first number you want to multiply should be typed right after the "=" symbol, without adding any blank spaces.
Step 5. Type the * symbol after entering the first number
The asterisk is the character that characterizes the mathematical operation of multiplication and tells Excel to multiply the number that precedes it by the one that follows it.
Step 6. Enter the second factor of the multiplication
For example, if you want to multiply the number 6 by itself, the formula you will need to use will be the following =6*6.
You can add other factors to the multiplication under consideration but remember that each number must be separated from the one that precedes it and from the one that follows it by the symbol "*"
Step 7. Press the Enter key
The entered formula will be executed automatically and the result will be displayed inside the cell where it was stored. Instead, the formula will be visible in the bar at the top of the screen, between the column header and the Excel toolbar, but only when the cell in which it was inserted is selected.
Method 2 of 3: Multiply the Values Contained in Different Cells
Step 1. Open an existing Excel document
Double-click the file icon to view its contents in the program window.
Step 2. Select a cell
This will highlight it and you will have the option to enter the formula to perform the multiplication.
Step 3. Type the = symbol into the chosen cell
All Excel formulas must necessarily begin with the mathematical symbol of equality.
Step 4. Type the = symbol into the chosen cell
All Excel formulas must necessarily begin with the mathematical symbol of equality.
For example, if the first factor of the multiplication is the value contained in cell A1, you would type "A1"
Step 5. Enter the * symbol after typing the coordinates of the first cell
This character tells Excel that you want to multiply the value that precedes it by the one that follows it.
Step 6. Type the name of the second cell
The value stored within the latter will be used as the second factor of the multiplication.
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For example, if you want to use the value contained in cell "D5", the final formula will look like this:
= A1 * D5
- If you wish, you can add other cells to the formula, but remember to separate them from the others already present using the "*" symbol.
Step 7. Press the Enter key
The formula you type will be executed automatically and the result will be displayed inside the cell where it was entered.
The formula will instead be visible in the bar at the top of the screen, between the column header and the Excel toolbar, but only when the cell in which it was inserted is selected
Method 3 of 3: Multiply a Set of Cells
Step 1. Open an existing Excel document
Double-click the file icon to view its contents in the program window.
Step 2. Select a cell
This will highlight it and you will have the option to enter the formula to perform the multiplication.
Step 3. Type the formula = PRODUCT (inside the selected cell
This command tells Excel that you need to multiply a series of elements together.
Step 4. Enter the name of the first cell
Ideally it should be the first cell in the range of those you want to multiply with each other.
For example, you could start from cell "A1"
Step 5. Enter the symbol:
. A colon (":") is used by Excel as a separator character so that you can add all the cells you want to include in the formula.
Step 6. Add the other cells to multiply
If you want to multiply a range of cells belonging to the same column or row, you can do so by inserting the last cell included in the data series into the formula.
For example, typing the value "A5" will indicate to Excel that the formula in question must multiply the values included in cells A1, A2, A3, A4 and A5
Step 7. Enter the closing parenthesis) of the formula and press the Enter key
In this way Excel will perform the calculations and show the result in the cell where you entered the formula.
