How to Use Provided Excel Formulas

You don't need to be a math whiz to use complicated Excel formulas - a number of them are already provided for you. These steps work with Microsoft Excel 97.

Things You'll Need

• Excel Book
• Microsoft Excel

Instructions

1. Start Microsoft Excel and open the file you want to change.

2. Click on the cell in which you want the total to appear.

3. Open the Insert menu and choose Function. The Paste Function dialog box appears.

4. Select the function category from the list in the Paste Function dialog box - for example, Financial.

5. Select a function from the Function Name list in the Paste Function dialog box. (For example, in the Financial category, NPV calculates the Net Present Value of an investment.) A brief description of the function appears at the bottom of the dialog box. The function's arguments (the values it needs to calculate the result) are listed as well.

6. Click OK.

7. In the box that appears, enter the cell names (for example, E2, B4, C2) you want to use for the formula you chose. The number of cells you need depends on the formula.

8. Click OK to accept the formula.

Tips & Warnings

• Click the question mark button in the Paste Function box for additional help. You can get help on using each function or on deciding which function to use.

• Each cell has a name, such as A1. The name refers to the cell's row and column. For example, Column A, Row 1, is A1.

• Click on the cell containing the total to view the formula. The formula is displayed in the Formula Bar.

• The Formula Bar is located between the tool bar and the column heads.