Using Excel as a Calculator

Sometimes you need a calculator, and one is not handy. Maybe you are in Excel and need to do a quick calculation. All you need to do is type the = immediately followed by your math problem, hit Enter, or Tab, and then move back to the cell where you wrote the problem to get your answer! Try the following exercise. When you are finished experimenting, move to the "BACK" link at the bottom of this page to go to the "Excel Lessons" web page.

NOTE: When you type your math problem there can be no spaces anywhere in the problem!!!

1. Open Excel.

2. In cell a1 type =2+2

3. Hit Enter one time.

4. Up arrow one time and you should hear the number 4

5. Create your own problems, even multi-step ones such as =2+2-1*3 and then hit Enter one time.

6. Up arrow one time to hear the answer.

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