how to do multiplication in excel

To do multiplication in Excel, you use the asterisk (*) as the multiplication operator within a formula. Here are the basic methods:

Multiply numbers directly

• Type = followed by the numbers separated by *.
  Example: =5*10 will display 50 in the cell

Multiply values in cells

• Use cell references instead of numbers.
  Example: =A2*B2 multiplies the value in cell A2 by the value in B2

Multiply multiple cells

• Include more cell references separated by *.
  Example: =A2*B2*C2 multiplies three cells together

Multiply a column by a constant number

• Suppose you want to multiply each cell in column A by a number in cell B2.
• In a new column, type =A2*$B$2 and press Enter.
• The $ signs lock the reference to B2 so it doesn't change when copying the formula down

• Drag the fill handle down to apply the formula to other rows.

Use the PRODUCT function

• To multiply multiple numbers or ranges, use =PRODUCT(number1, number2, ...).
• Example: =PRODUCT(A2:A5) multiplies all values in cells A2 through A5

Summary

• Always start formulas with =.
• Use * for multiplication.
• Use absolute references (with $) to fix cells when copying formulas.
• Use PRODUCT() for multiplying many cells or ranges efficiently.

This covers the fundamentals of multiplication in Excel