Basic Functions
Beginner
Basic SUM Function
A total is the first thing anyone asks a spreadsheet for.
Task:
The weekly sales sheet lands on your desk with the total row still empty. Put the total of all four products in B6.
Learning Objectives:
- Write your first SUM formula
- Refer to a range rather than single cells
- Put a result where a reader expects to find it
Hints
Solve without hints for +5 XP
Interactive Spreadsheet
The data in this exercise
This is the grid you start with. Cell references in the task — B6, C2 — point at the row numbers and column letters below.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Product | Sales |
| 2 | Cordless drill | 1240 |
| 3 | Extension lead | 385 |
| 4 | Safety goggles | 156 |
| 5 | Work gloves | 227 |
| 6 | Total |
What this exercise teaches (contains the answer)
Typing =B2+B3+B4+B5 gives the same answer today and breaks the moment a fifth product is added. SUM takes a range, so the formula keeps meaning "everything in this column" rather than "these four cells I happened to pick".