Excel syntax question....

Factual Questions
1

Cell1 950,000
Cell2 65%
Cell3 425,000
I want to:

Mutiply Cell1 by Cell2, subtract cell 3 from that result, and take THAT result and express it as a percentage of Cell1.

In other words:

65% of 950,000 is 617,000. Subtract 425,000, leaving 192,500. 192,500 is 20.2% of 950,000.

Displayed in the cell: 20.2%
This:

=(cell1*cell2)-cell3

does return the correct value of 192,00. I just don’t know how to tell Excel to take that result and express it as a percentage of Cell1. I tried:

=(cell1*cell2)-cell3/cell1

But that results in 617,499.55 - the 65%.

So how do I get that final part in the same formula?

2

You just need some parentheses.

=(cell1*cell2-cell3)/cell1

3

Use additional parentheses before dividing by cell1.

((cell1*cell2)-cell3**)**/cell1

4

Why not ((Cell1*Cell2)-Cell3)/Cell1 ?

Edit - I’m late to the party

5

=((cell1*cell2)-cell3)/cell1

otherwise excel follows the operation order of math which does division before addition or subtraction. That is, the way you wrote it Excel performs =(cell1*cell2)-(cell3/cell1)

BTW you don’t need parentheses around cell1*cell2 because that operation is performed first as you wish it to be. See
http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol7/order_operations.html

for a simple explanation

6

I’m sure there’s a more elegant way, because there always is in Excel, but why not break the equations up?

=Cell1*Cell2 with the output into a third cell. (Cell3)
=Cell3-Cell4 (Cell4 is the 425,000 in your example.) with the output to a 5th cell.(Cell5)
=Cell5/Cell1

7

Geeze, ignore my answer. :slight_smile: