How to subtract in Excel

Subtraction is the process of subtraction of two or more quantities to obtain a final result. In Excel they can be done in various ways, either manually or with formulas.

Therefore, in this article we will explain how to subtract in excel easily and quickly. This way you will have different methods available to apply this operation.

Manually

The process to subtract manually in Excel is as simple as enter the equality sign and write the quantities to subtract with the subtraction sign in the middle. For example, in a cell you type “=35-21” and press “Enter”. With this, you will get a result.

Using cell references

To subtract in Excel using cell reference you just have to enter the equality symbol and then click on the cells that contain the numbers to subtract.

This method is more automated since, changing the quantities in the cells, the result will automatically change.

Subtract columns or numbers from a range

There is no SUBTRACT function in Excel, therefore, other functions such as SUM must be applied. However, for it to work you have to write the numbers with the negative signsince positive and negative numbers are automatically subtracted.

In view of this, you must enter all the data and then write in a cell “=SUM(” and select the data range, which in this case is “A2:A9”. Close parentheses and press “Enter” to see the result.

Using the IM.SUBSTR function

This is a subtraction formula in Excel that you can use like the SUM function. Therefore, you only have to enter one cell”=IM.SUBSTR(” and click on the cells that contain the data. You must add a semicolon to separate arguments. Then, close parentheses and press “Enter”.

Subtract worksheets

The process to subtract spreadsheets in Excel is similar to what has been explained previously, that is, you must use the formula “=SUM(”, click on the sheets and cells that contain the numbers and insert the subtraction sign. To see the result, close parentheses and press “Enter”.

To confirm that you are entering the data correctly, the formula should be similar to the one that appears in the image.

In conclusion, you have various methods to subtract in Excel, either using the manual method or applying the various formulas that have been mentioned previously.