Order of Precedence
Formulas in 1-2-3, Excel, and all other PC application
software are calculated using the Order of Precedence or Order of Arithmetic
Operations--the same order you may have learned in Math or Algebra.
Below is a table showing the Order of Precedence.
| Level |
Operation
|
Operator |
| 1 |
Parentheses |
( ) |
| 2 |
Exponentiation |
^ |
| 3 |
Multiplication and Division |
* / |
| 4 |
Addition and Subtraction |
+ - |
If a formula contains more than one operation, any operation
inside the parentheses is performed before any operations outside parentheses
are performed. If exponentiation is included in the formula,
it is performed at the second level. Then multiplication and division
operations are performed, whichever comes first reading the formula from
left to right. Last, addition and subtraction are performed, again,
whichever comes first in the formula reading from left to right.
When two or more operations are inside parentheses,
the same order is still followed.
As an example, consider the following formula:
6/3+5^2-(3+12)
The first operation to be performed is the addition
inside the parentheses (3+12).
6/3+5^2-(3+12)
6/3+5^2-15
Next, the exponentiation is performed.
6/3+25-15
Then, the division is performed.
2+25-15
The last level is addition and/or subtraction.
The addition is performed before the subtraction only because it comes
first in this particular formula.
27-15
12
Now you try this one.
30/3-(2+3)*2+5 Then check your answer by clicking
here.
You may be wondering why you need to know this.
One of the reasons you use spreadsheet software is so that the calculations
will be performed for you. But you have
to write the formulas for the spreadsheet to calculate and if you don't
write the formulas correctly, you will obtain the wrong result. So
think every time you write a formula that contains two or more operations:
Does
this formula need parentheses?
Consider the following example.
You need to write a formula in cell D5 to calculate
the percent of increase or decrease in sales between 1998 and 1999. 1998
Sales are in cell C5 and 1999 Sales are in cell B5. The formula to calculate
the percent of change is: =(B5-C5)/C5. If the parentheses were
not included, Excel would divide C5 by C5 with a result of 1 and subtract
1 from the value in D5. Parentheses play a very important part in
formulas.
The correct answer is 5.
30/3-(2+3)*2+5
30/3-5*2+5
10-5*2+5
10-10+5
0+5
5
Click here to return.
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