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Lesson
Lesson 1: Arithmetic and the order of operations in formulas
Write arithmetic formulas with cell references and understand the order of operations and the role of parentheses.
How formulas work in Google Sheets
Arithmetic and cell references
Every formula in Google Sheets starts with the = sign. After it, you can write numbers, arithmetic operators, and — more importantly — cell references.
Operators: + (addition), - (subtraction), * (multiplication), / (division), ^ (exponentiation). For example, =2^10 gives 1024. The order of operations is the same as in math: first ^, *, and /, then + and -. Parentheses change the order: =(A1+A2)/2 first adds A1 and A2 and only then divides by 2 — that’s the formula for an average.
The main rule: don’t type numbers directly; use cell references. If you write =100+200 and the price later changes, you’ll have to rewrite the formula by hand. But if you write =B2+B3, you just update the data in B2 and B3, and the result recalculates by itself.
A practical example: you’re calculating a receipt total. A1 holds “Headphones” and B1 its price, 45; A2 holds “Backpack” and B2, 89. The receipt total is =B1+B2, and the average price is =(B1+B2)/2.
Lesson notes
Arithmetic and cell references
Every formula in Google Sheets starts with the = sign. After it, you can write numbers, arithmetic operators, and — more importantly — cell references.
Operators: + (addition), - (subtraction), * (multiplication), / (division), ^ (exponentiation). For example, =2^10 gives 1024. The order of operations is the same as in math: first ^, *, and /, then + and -. Parentheses change the order: =(A1+A2)/2 first adds A1 and A2 and only then divides by 2 — that’s the formula for an average.
The main rule: don’t type numbers directly; use cell references. If you write =100+200 and the price later changes, you’ll have to rewrite the formula by hand. But if you write =B2+B3, you just update the data in B2 and B3, and the result recalculates by itself.
A practical example: you’re calculating a receipt total. A1 holds “Headphones” and B1 its price, 45; A2 holds “Backpack” and B2, 89. The receipt total is =B1+B2, and the average price is =(B1+B2)/2.