Excel Multiplying Formula

You saw how to multiply two numbers together. Just use the asterisk symbol with the cell references. Like this:

= A1 * A2

But what if you wanted to multiply a long range of values together? You might want to multiply all the numbers in the cells A1 to A10. Surely you don't have do this = A1 * A2 * A3 * A4 * A5, etc?

You'd be right - you don't have to enter all the cell references. You can do the same as in the Sum Function, just use A1:A5. But instead of using the word Sum you use the word Product. Like this:

=Product(A1:A5)

If you look back at Exercise 2, the number 3 was in the cells A1 to E1. We then added them up. If you wanted to multiply them all instead, use Product. To further illustrate what Product does, this is what we wanted to multiply:

= 3 * 3 * 3 * 3 * 3

So 3 times 3 = 9. Multiply the 9 by the third 3 to give 27. Multiply the 27 by the fourth 3 to give 81. Multiply the 81 by the fifth 3 to give 243. And that's what Product does: Multiplies a range of cells together. Just like the Sum function, you can add other cells after a comma. Like this:

= Product(A1:E1, A3)

In the above function, our answer of 243 will be multiplied by whatever is in cell A3.