Parentheses change the order
Step 1 of 2
Excel calculates * and / before + and -, as in math class. =2+3*4 is 14, not 20.
Parentheses go first of all: =(2+3)*4 is 20.
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| A | B | C | D | E | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Units | Bonus units | Price | Total | |
| 2 | Coffee pods | 20 | 4 | 3 | ||
| 3 | ||||||
| 4 | ||||||
| 5 | ||||||
| 6 | ||||||
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 |
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Why this works
Excel follows the order you know from math class: multiplication and division come before addition and subtraction. =B2+C2*D2 gives 20 + 12 = 32. Parentheses go first, so =(B2+C2)*D2 adds the units to 24 and then multiplies: 24 × 3 = 72.
Common mistake: Leaving out the parentheses. =B2+C2*D2 multiplies only the bonus units by the price.
The answer
- E2
=(B2+C2)*D2
Parentheses first, then exponents (^), then * and /, then + and -. Operators with the same rank go from left to right.
+10 points