Type a formula that is given to you
A formula is a cell that works something out rather than holding a fixed value, and it always starts with an equals sign. That sign is the whole signal: it tells Excel the rest is an instruction and not a piece of text. Leaving it off is the single most common thing that goes wrong on somebody's first day.
=B2+B3 says take whatever is in B2, take whatever is in B3, and add them. Notice what it does not say. It does not say 40 and 12. It points at the cells, so when the numbers in them change the answer changes too. Select the cell afterwards and the formula bar above the grid still shows the formula, even though the cell shows a number.
In B5, type =B2+B3 exactly as written, then press Enter.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Ordered | |||
| 2 | Notebooks | 40 | |||
| 3 | Pencils | 12 | |||
| 4 | |||||
| 5 | Total ordered | ||||
| 6 | |||||
| 7 | |||||
| 8 |
Click a cell and type. Enter commits, Tab moves right, F2 edits in place, Ctrl+Z undoes. Drag the small square at the corner of a cell to fill. Ctrl+Enter checks your answer.