To multiply in Excel, use an asterisk: =B2*C2 multiplies the value in B2 by the value in C2. To divide, use a forward slash: =B2/C2 divides B2 by C2.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Price | Qty | Total |
| 2 | Notebook | $3.50 | 4 | $14.00 |
| 3 | Pen | $1.20 | 10 | $12.00 |
| 4 | Folder | $2.75 | 6 | $16.50 |
| 5 | Stapler | $8.90 | 1 | $8.90 |
D2 shows 21.00. The formula was typed once in D2 and filled down, so D3 holds =B3*C3, D4 holds =B4*C4, and so on.
How to divide in Excel
Division works the same way with /. Here each row divides a cost by the number of units to get a cost per unit.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pack | Cost | Units | Per unit |
| 2 | Eggs | $3.60 | 12 | $0.30 |
| 3 | Batteries | $7.50 | 8 | $0.94 |
| 4 | Water | $4.20 | 6 | $0.70 |
Eggs cost $0.30 each. Excel follows the usual order of operations: multiplication and division happen before addition and subtraction, so =10+20/2 gives 20. Use brackets to change the order: =(10+20)/2 gives 15, the average of the two numbers.
Multiply several cells with PRODUCT
=PRODUCT(B2:D2) multiplies every number in a range. It gives the same result as =B2*C2*D2, with one difference: PRODUCT skips empty cells, while * treats an empty cell as 0.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Box | Length | Width | Height | PRODUCT | Asterisks |
| 2 | Small | 20 | 15 | 10 | 3000 | 3000 |
| 3 | Flat | 40 | 30 | 1200 | 0 |
The small box gives 3000 both ways. The flat box has no height: PRODUCT returns 1200 (40 times 30), and the asterisk formula returns 0. Which one is right depends on whether an empty cell means "missing" or "zero".
Multiply a column by a number
To multiply every row by the same number, such as a tax rate or an exchange rate, put the number in one cell and refer to it with dollar signs. $F$1 is an absolute reference: it stays F1 when the formula is filled down.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Price (USD) | Price (EUR) | Rate | 0.92 | |
| 2 | Notebook | $3.50 | 3.22 | |||
| 3 | Pen | $1.20 | 1.10 | |||
| 4 | Folder | $2.75 | 2.53 | |||
| 5 | Stapler | $8.90 | 8.19 |
Change the rate in F1 to 0.9 and the whole column updates. Without the dollar signs, the copy in C3 would read =B3*F2, an empty cell, and return 0. Absolute references explain the $ and the F4 key that types it.
To change the numbers themselves instead of writing new formulas, copy the cell with the rate, select the prices, press Ctrl+Alt+V (Cmd+Ctrl+V on a Mac) to open Paste Special, choose Values and Multiply, and click OK. The prices are replaced by the results and no formula is left behind. Choosing Values keeps the prices' own number format; with All, the rate cell's format is pasted over them too.
Divide by zero (#DIV/0!)
Dividing by 0 or by an empty cell returns #DIV/0!. Check the divisor before dividing, or catch the error with IFERROR.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Store | Revenue | Orders | Plain | Checked |
| 2 | North | $4,200 | 120 | $35.00 | $35.00 |
| 3 | South | $0 | 0 | #DIV/0! | |
| 4 | East | $1,850 | #DIV/0! |
D3 and D4 show #DIV/0!: South had no orders and East has no number at all. The checked column shows a blank instead. =IFERROR(B2/C2,"") gives the same blanks, but it would also hide a mistake such as text in the Revenue column, so testing the divisor is the safer habit. More on this in IFERROR.
QUOTIENT and MOD: whole numbers and remainders
=QUOTIENT(A2,B2) divides and drops everything after the decimal point. =MOD(A2,B2) returns what is left over. Together they split minutes into hours and minutes:
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minutes | Hours | Minutes left |
| 2 | 135 | 2 | 15 |
| 3 | 90 | 1 | 30 |
| 4 | 45 | 0 | 45 |
135 minutes is 2 hours and 15 minutes. QUOTIENT cuts off the decimals rather than rounding, so 0.75 hours becomes 0 for the 45-minute row.
Practice: split a bill
| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Price | People | 4 | ||
| 2 | Pizza | $24.00 | Each | |||
| 3 | Salad | $9.50 | ||||
| 4 | Drinks | $16.00 | ||||
| 5 | Dessert | $12.50 |
Your turn: In F2, divide the total of the four items by the number of people in F1.
Common mistake: multiplying by a percentage
To add 8% tax, =B2*8% returns only the tax. The price with tax is =B2*(1+8%), or =B2*1.08. For more, see percentages in Excel.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the multiplication formula in Excel?
Use an asterisk: =B2*C2 multiplies B2 by C2, and =B2*1.2 multiplies B2 by 1.2. To multiply many cells at once, =PRODUCT(B2:D2) multiplies every number in the range.
How do I divide in Excel?
Use a forward slash: =B2/C2 divides B2 by C2. There is no DIVIDE function; =QUOTIENT(B2,C2) exists but returns only the whole-number part.
How do I multiply a whole column by one number in Excel?
Put the number in a cell, for example F1, then write =B2*$F$1 in the first row and fill it down. The dollar signs keep every row pointing at F1. To change the numbers in place instead, copy F1, select the column and use Paste Special > Multiply.
How do I multiply two columns in Excel?
Write =B2*C2 in the first row and fill it down, so each row multiplies its own two cells. In Excel 2021 and Microsoft 365, =B2:B5*C2:C5 returns all the products at once, and =SUMPRODUCT(B2:B5,C2:C5) adds them up in one cell.
Can I use x to multiply in Excel?
No. Excel reads x as text or as a name, so =B2xC2 gives #NAME?. The multiplication sign in a formula is always *.
