Mehedi Hasan Shimul
While working on Excel we may need to add or subtract among the column data. In order to do that Excel has many built-in functions as well as many other techniques. Users can pick any one of the techniques as per their choice to add and subtract columns in Excel. Here in this article, we will show you 5 easy methods to add and subtract columns in Excel.
How to Add and Subtract Columns in Excel: 5 Very Easy Methods
Adding and subtracting columns can be done in many methods in Excel, 5 easy methods to add and subtract columns in Excel are explained in this article below.
Adding Columns in Excel
First let’s see how to add data from different columns and put the value in another column. We will show it in 3 different methods. You can use any one of the methods to add the columns in Excel.
Method 1: Adding Columns Using Plus Operator (+)
The mathematical operator (+) can be used to add the columns data very easily. In this method, we will discuss that.
Step 1: At first we will select the cell where we want to put the result value and double click to enter the cell. Then write the formula with + operator.
=C6+D6+E6+F6
Here, we enter “=” and then we select the cells whose data we want to add.
Step 2: Press ENTER and the result will be there.
Step 3: We select the cell where the result is stored. We take the mouse cursor (Fill Handle) in the bottom right corner of the cell and the pointer will change. we left click the mouse and drag down to apply the formula to the cells below.
Read More: How to Add or Subtract Based on Cell Value in Excel
Method 2: Adding Columns Using SUM Function
In this method, we will show the use of the SUM function of Excel to add the data of different columns and put the result in another column cell.
Step 1: We select and enter the cell and put (=) sign then we write SUM, Excel will automatically recall the SUM function. Then we select the range of cells we want to add.
=SUM(C6:F6)
Step 2: We press ENTER and the result will show up. We use the Fill Handle to extend the formula in the cells below.
Method 3: Adding Columns Using AutoSum Feature
Excel is very versatile, we can use another built-in function to add columns which is called AutoSum. The method is so simple and efficient. The method is described below.
Step 1: We select the cell where we want to store the result. Then we select the Formulas>AutoSum>Sum.
Step 2: The result will be stored in the cell. We use the Fill Handle to copy the formula to the cell below.
Read More: How to Add and Subtract in One Cell in Excel
Subtracting Columns in Excel
Just like adding, we can subtract the data between two different columns. But unlike adding this time Excel doesn’t have a built-in function for subtracting. No worry obviously there are ways to do the subtraction. 2 methods are described below.
Method 1: Subtracting by Using Minus Operator (–)
For doing the subtraction between two columns of data we can use (–) operator. It’s a very simple and easy method. The method is described below.
Step 1: We select and enter the cell where we want to show the result.
=C6-D6
Step 2: we press (=) then we select the first cell the use (–) operator the select the second cell.
Step 3: Press and the result will be displayed. We use Fill Handle to extend the formula for the cells below.
Read More: Adding and Subtracting in Excel in One Formula
Method 2: Subtracting by Using SUM Function and Minus Operator (–)
Suppose we want to subtract the sum of two columns data from another column data. We can do that by using the (–) operator and the SUM function together. The method is described below.
Step 1: We select and enter the cell where we will keep the result.
Step 2: Enter (=) and select the cell from where we want to subtract. Then enter (–) operator. After that, we write SUM(). Inside the parentheses we select the cells or range of cells whose sum we want to subtract.
=C6-SUM(D6:E6)
Step 3: Pressing enter we will see the result. We use Fill Handle to copy the formula to the cells below.
Download Practice Workbook
Conclusion
Adding and subtracting columns are used widely in Excel to manipulate the data. In this article, we have shown 5 very useful methods to add and subtract columns in Excel. Hope this article will be helpful to you. If you face any problem following the steps or if you have any suggestions regarding the methods please let us know in the comment section.
