How to Insert a formula in excel and apply it to an entire column or row?

Want to insert formulas in an entire column or row in the excel sheet? Then this is the right article for you. Here, I am giving you a quick tip to Insert a formula in excel and how to apply the formula to an entire column or row. We can use many methods to create the formula in excel. Here I am showing you a very simple method.

Why formula?

We can create an excel sheet without a formula. You can do calculations manually and you can type in an excel sheet. If you use a formula, you need not do calculations manually. Excel automatically does calculations and displays results. So it saves time. You can get more details from Microsoft.

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What is column and row?

Before going to see about inserting formula, it is a must to know about row and column. For understanding purposes, I can say Column is a combination of vertical cells and Row is a combination of horizontal cells. See the below screenshot. In excel A,B,C,…. represents Columns and 1,2,3,…. represents Rows. I have selected a B3 cell. ‘B3’ means ‘B’ column and 3rd row.

How to Insert a formula in excel?

Video Tutorial

We Provided this article in the form of a video tutorial for our reader’s convenience. If you are interested in reading, you can skip the video and start reading.

I am showing you how to insert a subtraction formula. I am going to do “D2=B2-C2”. Here I have entered 45 in B2 cell and 20 in the C2 cell. I am going to enter the formula in D2.

• Select D2 cell.

• Type “=’ by using your keyboard. Immediately you can see function symbols above all rows shown as ‘2’ in the above screenshot. You can click on the arrow mark to see available functions. You need to do nothing with this arrow mark and function name. I am telling it for observation purposes.

• Now select the B2 cell by using your mouse. Immediately you will see “=B2” in the D2 cell as shown in the below screenshot.

• Type “-” using your keyboard (You can type ‘+’ or ‘-‘ or ‘/’ or ‘*’ according to your operation).
• Select the C2 cell. You will see “=B2-C2” in the D2 cell as shown in the below screenshot.

Hit Enter you will see answer in D2 cell as shown in below screenshot.

If you change the value in B2 or C2 cell, immediately you will see a change in D2 cell value. You have entered the formula only in the D2 cell. If you write a value in B3 and C3 cells, you will not see the answer in the D3 cell until you apply the formula to the entire column. It is very easy to apply the formula to an entire column or row.

How to apply a formula to an entire column or row?

• Select D2 cell by using mouse. You will see rectangular black thick box.

• Place the cursor right bottom corner of the rectangular box. You will see the cursor symbol changing to the ‘+’ symbol shown in the below screenshot.

• Hold the left click of the mouse, drag the mouse down to the end of the page. Now you have applied the formula to every cell in the column. You need to drag towards the right, to apply the formula to the entire row.

Type any value in B3 and c3 cells, you will see the answer in the D3 cell. If you select a D3 cell, you will see “=B3-C3” near fx. If you select D4, you will see “=B4-C4” near fx.

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