How to Add and Subtract in One Cell in Excel (6 Ways)

Adding and subtracting are the two most common mathematical operations in our everyday lives. While working in Excel, you can use a simple formula to add or subtract from the given data in one cell. Thankfully, there are some Excel functions to do that. This tutorial will show you 6 ways how to add and subtract in Excel in one cell.

How to Add and Subtract in One Cell in Excel: 6 Easy Ways

Here we have taken a dataset of students’ marks in the Theory and Practical courses. We will add the marks to get the total marks. We can also subtract the cell value that is also described in the tutorial.

Here we have used Microsoft 365 version. You can also use any other version according to your convenience.

1. Using Cell References

You can add and subtract between the cells using the cell numbers. You have to give + (plus) and – (minus) signs after entering a cell in your formula. Here we will demonstrate the steps.

📌 Steps:

• Firstly, select the cell where you want to calculate. Then select cell F5 and simply add the two cells and then subtract from other cells.

Here, C5 and D5 represent the starting cell of Marks in Theory and Marks in Practical respectively. Besides, E5 is the negative mark of each student.

• Press ENTER.

• Then drag down the Fill Handle tool for other cells.

• Finally, you will find your Total marks by using cell numbers just like the image below.

Read More: How to Add or Subtract Based on Cell Value in Excel

2. Adding and Subtracting Multiple Cells from One Cell

You can add and subtract from multiple cells by applying the formula. It is an easy task to do so. For example, in one cell (C13) we have entered the total income of the employee and in other cells (D5:D12), we put the expenses. So, in order to find out the total savings of the employees, we have followed the below procedure.

📌 Steps:

• First of all, go to cell E13 and write down the formula below.

Here,

C13= The total Income of the employees

D5:D12= The cell of the individual expenses of the employees.

The syntax C13-(D5+D6+D7+D8+D9+D10+D11+D12) will add all the values of the D column and subtract it from C13.

• Press ENTER.

• Then, you will get your desired result.

Read More: How to Add and Subtract Multiple Cells in Excel

3. Using SUM Function

The SUM function will add the value you entered in the cell and then you can subtract them by using the minus sign as there is no dedicated function for subtraction.

📌 Steps:

• Initially, go to cell C13 and add the entire range of the column by SUM function.

This function will add the entire range of column C.

• Press ENTER.

• Suppose you want to subtract the expenses from the total income. Simply subtract the summed value from cell C13. Therefore, the formula for the E13 cell will be like the following one.

• Finally, your result will be just like the one below.

4. Adding and Subtracting Between Two Columns in One Cell

You can add and subtract two columns by applying two SUM functions. It will add two columns and then you can subtract easily.

📌 Steps:

• Primarily, select cell C13 and add the entire range of columns. Then press ENTER.

• Then, move to cell E13 and write the formula.

Here, the SUM function will add the value of columns C and D, and then the minus sign will subtract these two columns.

• Finally, you will get your calculated answer.

Read More: How to Add and Subtract Columns in Excel

5. Adding and Subtracting Between Two Rows in One Cell

Adding two rows is almost the same like add and subtract two columns. For this method, you will have to add or subtract data row-wise. Here, we use a dataset of students’ subject-wise marks and we want to know the difference between two particular students. Follow the steps for row-wise addition and subtraction.

📌 Steps:

• In the beginning, select cell E12 and enter the formula.

Here, the SUM function will add the cell’s marks, and then the minus sign will subtract them.

• Press ENTER.

• Finally, you will get your desired answer.

6. Adding and Subtracting for Percentage in One Cell

Basically, it is easy to subtract two percentage values in Excel. Moreover, the process is similar to subtracting and adding cell numbers formula. Follow the below steps to complete the operation in a handy manner.

📌 Steps:

• First of all, select cell F5 and enter the formula.

• Then, press the Enter button on the keyboard. You will get your required answer.
• Afterward, select the cell and apply the Fill Handle tool to the whole column.

• Finally, you will find your required values in the following image.

How to Subtract from Previous Cell Using Excel Formula

You can easily subtract one data from another cell. For this, you need not enter any function as there is no function in Excel for subtraction. Simply, a – (minus sign) will do the rest.

📌 Steps:

Firstly, select go to cell E5 and enter the formula.

=C5-D5. This formula will simply subtract the value of cell D5 from the value of cell C5.

• Afterward, press ENTER.

• After that, drag down the Fill Handle tool to find the subtracted result. It is shown in the image below.

Read More: Adding and Subtracting in Excel in One Formula

How to Subtract and Dividing in the Same Cell in Excel

Sometimes, you may need to subtract two cells and then divide the answer. Here, we use a dataset of some products whose Quantity and total Amount are given. But we want to divide the Quantity by the Amount to calculate the per unit value. We will also subtract the Discount column to get the Per Unit Value. You should follow the steps to do that.

📌 Steps:

• First of all, select cell F5 and enter the formula.

Here,

C5= The gross amount of the products (cables).

D5= Discount given for products.

E5= Quantity for each product.

The formula (C5-D5)/E5 will subtract the value of C5 and the value of D5, and then the output will be divided by the cell E5.

• Then, press ENTER.

• Finally, you will get your desired answer just like the one below.

Practice Section

We have provided a practice section on each sheet on the right side for your practice. Please do it by yourself.

Download Practice Workbook

Download the following practice workbook. It will help you to realize the topic more clearly.

Conclusion

That’s all about today’s session. And these are some easy methods on how to add and subtract in Excel in one cell.  Please let us know in the comments section if you have any questions or suggestions. For a better understanding, please download the practice sheet. Thanks for your patience in reading this article.

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