# Excel syntax question.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 14, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775 "2009-06-14T23:53:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775/1 "2009-06-14T23:53:57Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775/2 "2009-06-15T00:16:43Z")
You just need some parentheses. =(cell1\*cell2-cell3)/cell1 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775/3 "2009-06-15T00:16:54Z")
Use additional parentheses before dividing by cell1. **(**(cell1\*cell2)-cell3\*\*)\*\*/cell1 ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775/4 "2009-06-15T00:19:28Z")
Why not ((Cell1\*Cell2)-Cell3)/Cell1 ? Edit - I’m late to the party ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775/5 "2009-06-15T00:20:38Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > 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%** > You need to use > > 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? =((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](http://www.mathgoodies.com/lessons/vol7/order_operations.html) for a simple explanation ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775/6 "2009-06-15T00:27:35Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/excel-syntax-question/499775/7 "2009-06-15T00:28:41Z")
Geeze, ignore my answer. 🙂