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How to Divide in Google Sheets
Use formulas, format percentages, and more
By Ted French Ted French Writer Former Lifewire writer Ted French is a Microsoft Certified Professional who teaches and writes about spreadsheets and spreadsheet programs. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 11, 2020 Reviewed by Chris Selph Reviewed by Chris Selph Chris Selph is a CompTIA-certified technology and vocational IT teacher. He also serves as network & server administrator and performs computer maintenance and repair for numerous clients. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section What to Know About Formulas in Google Sheets Step-by-Step: How to Divide #DIV O Formula Errors Extra: Calculate Percentages Google Sheets uses functions to create formulas for basic mathematical concepts like addition, multiplication, and division. Here's how to divide in Google Sheets. You'll learn how to create a division formula, use it for percentage results, and deal with errors you might experience. What to Know About Formulas in Google Sheets
To divide two numbers in Google Sheets, you need to create a formula. Here are some important points to remember about Sheets formulas: Formulas always begin with an equal sign ( = ). The equal sign always goes in the cell where you want the answer to go. The division operator is the forward-slash ( / ). Complete the formula by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard. How to Divide in Google Sheets
Here's how to use the divide function in Google Sheets: Choose the cell you want the formula to appear in. This example uses cell D1. Select Functions > Operator > DIVIDE. Alternatively, go to the Insert tab to find functions. Choose a dividend and a divisor for the formula. This example uses A1 and B1 as the dividend and divisor, respectively. The dividend is the number to be divided. The divisor is the number to divide by. The result is called the quotient. The divisor cannot equal 0. Press Enter to complete the formula. The formula result appears in the cell. In this example, the number 2 is in cell D1, since 20 divided by 10 equals 2. There are two ways to enter data when creating a formula in Google Sheets. You can enter numbers directly, for example, =DIVIDE(20,10). However, it's better to enter the data into worksheet cells and use the addresses or references of those cells in the formula, for example, =DIVIDE(A1,B1). Using cell references rather than the actual data makes it easier to edit information later if needed. The results of the formula update automatically. #DIV O Formula Errors
Sometimes you may get an error message if the formula is entered incorrectly. The most common error associated with division operations is #DIV/O!. This displays when the divisor is equal to zero, which is not allowed in ordinary arithmetic. The most likely reason for this error is an incorrect cell reference was entered into the formula. It could also be that the formula was copied to another location using the fill handle, which changed the cell references and resulted in the error. How to Calculate Percentages With Division Formulas
When the results of a division operation are less than one, Google Sheets represents it as a decimal by default, as shown in row three of the below example, where: The dividend is set to 7.The divisor is set to 21.The quotient is equal to 0.3333333333. You can change that result to a percentage by changing the formatting in the cell. To do that, highlight the cell and select Format > Number > Percent. The 0.3333333333 changes to 33.33%. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Search in Google Sheets How to Sum Columns or Rows in Google Sheets How to Make a Divide Sign on a Keyboard How to Use Google Sheets Excel QUOTIENT Function: Divide Numbers Excel Math: How to Add, Subtract, Divide, and Multiply How to Highlight and Find Duplicates in Google Sheets How to Use the Google Spreadsheets AVERAGE Function How to Calculate Weighted Averages in Excel With SUMPRODUCT Google Sheets Formula Tutorial How to Remove Duplicates in Google Sheets Ignore Error Values When Finding the Average in Excel How to Use Excel's MROUND Function How to Subtract Dates in Excel How to Calculate Percentage in Excel How to Divide in Excel Using a Formula Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies