Divide in Excel

Need to divide two numbers? Let’s learn how to quickly divide in Microsoft Excel.

When you’re doing division in Excel, you’ll likely encounter one of two scenarios. One happens when you want to type in two numbers and divide them in a single cell. The other is when you have existing numbers already in cells, and want to divide those.

Divide in Excel (In a Single Cell)

Let’s say you need to divide 40 by 8. To get started, click into any cell in your workbook. Begin by typing an = sign. (Tip: This is how you start every formula in Excel).

Then, type 40, followed by /, and then 8.

Your formula will look like this: =40/8

Press Enter on your keyboard, and boom, Excel returns your solution in the cell: 5.

Divide in Excel (With Existing Numbers)

Suppose you have two numbers listed on your cell, as you can see here. You may want to divide these, and since they’re already typed in, there’s no reason to input them again.

Find an empty cell, and click to select it. Once again, type =. But this time, click the first cell: the number that you want to divide (also called the dividend).

 

Then, type /, and click on the other cell, which is your divisor. When you’re finished, hit Enter and you’ll see the result appear in the cell.

How to Copy Division Formulas in Excel

Now, suppose you have several data sets like you can see here. You might want to divide each one to compare the results. Thanks to Excel’s ability to drag formulas, you can do these calculations in seconds.

Click into the first solution cell, then hover your cursor over the lower right corner. You’ll see the (+) symbol appear. Then, click and drag downward.

Excel will automatically insert the formula, adapting it for the adjacent data. It’s that easy. You only have to type the formula once, then let Excel do the work!

As you can see, Microsoft Excel offers several great ways to divide numbers. These tricks save you valuable time and help you get what you need from your data.