Google Sheets is an incredibly useful tool for crunching numbers and organizing data. One of the most used functionalities in Google Sheets is the ability to add up a column of numbers. But how exactly do you do this? Here, we will show you how to make Google Sheets add up a column in a few simple steps.
Step 1: Select a Cell Where You Want the Sum to Appear
The first thing you’ll need to do is select the cell where you want the sum of the column to appear. This can be at the bottom of the column you’re adding up, at the top, or even in a completely different part of the spreadsheet. Let’s say, for instance, you have a column of numbers from A2 to A10, and you want your sum to appear in cell A11. You would then click on A11 to select it.
Step 2: Input the SUM Formula
Once you’ve selected the cell, you’ll need to input the SUM formula, which is simply =SUM(). Click on the selected cell, then type in =SUM() in the fx field at the top of the sheet.
Step 3: Insert the Range of Cells You Want to Add Up
Inside the parentheses of your SUM formula, you’ll need to specify the range of cells that you want to add up. The range of cells is simply the first cell and the last cell in the column, separated by a colon. So, if you’re adding up cells from A2 to A10, your range would be A2:A10. Your formula now looks like this: =SUM(A2:A10).
Step 4: Press Enter and Voila!
Once you’ve inputted your range, just hit enter. Google Sheets will automatically calculate the sum of the numbers in the specified column and display the result in the cell you selected in step 1. In our example, the sum of the numbers in cells A2 through A10 would appear in cell A11.
Here’s the complete code:
=SUM(A2:A10)
Conclusion
As you can see, adding up a column of numbers in Google Sheets is quite simple once you know the process. The SUM function is a powerful tool that can save you a lot of time and manual labor if you’re dealing with large amounts of data. We hope this guide has been helpful, and encourage you to explore all of the other functionalities that Google Sheets has to offer!