Divide formula for excel

The Excel Formula for Division helps us perform the mathematical division between two numbers, i.e., one is the numerator and the other the denominator.

Excel doesn’t have an inbuilt Division formula. Therefore, we can use the basic method of using the equal “=” sign, and the arithmetic division operator, the forward slash “/”, to divide the values.

How To Divide Using Excel Formulas?

We can Divide Using Excel Formulas in 2 ways, namely,

1. Basic Division Excel formula.
2. Quotient Excel formula.

Method #1 – Basic Division Excel Formula

1. First, type “=” in an empty cell.
2. Next, for Value1, enter the first value or the cell reference holding the value, i.e., the numerator.
3. Then, enter the “/” forward slash, i.e., the basic division symbol in Excel.
4. Next, for Value2, enter the second value or the cell reference holding the value, i.e., the denominator.
5. Finally, press the “Enter” key to execute the formula, and return the calculated result.

Therefore, the Basic Division Excel formula will be “=Value1/Value2”.

Method #2 – QUOTIENT Excel Formula

The syntax of the QUOTIENT Excel formula is,

The mandatory arguments of the QUOTIENT Excel formula are,

• Numerator: It is the number we are dividing.
• Denominator: It is the numeric value that we are dividing the numerator in excel.

The steps to use the QUOTIENT formula is,

1. First, type “=QUOTIENT(” in an empty cell.
2. Next, enter the numerator and denominator values as numeric values or cell references.
3. Finally, close the brackets and press the “Enter” key to execute the formula.

Basic Formula

Let us consider an example to use the Excel Formula for Division to divide numbers and calculate the percentages.

We have data of class students who recently appeared in the annual exam. We have the name and total marks they wrote for the exam and the total marks they obtained in the exam.

Student	Total Marks	Achieved Marks	Percentage
Ramu	600	490	?
Rajitha	600	483	?
Komala	600	448	?
Patil	600	530	?
Pursi	600	542	?
Gayathri	600	578	?

The steps to find the percentage of students are:

Step 1: Selectcell D2, and enter the formula =C2/B2, i.e., (Achieved Marks / Total Marks).

Step 2: Press the “Enter” key, and drag the formula from cell D2 to D7 using the fill handle. The output, i.e., the percentage of the students, is shown below.

Examples

We will consider a couple of examples using the QUOTIENT Excel Formula for Division.

Example #1

We have a cricket scorecard. The individual runs they scored and total boundaries they hit in their innings. We need to find how many runs once they score a boundary. We need to find how many runs once they score a boundary.

The steps to calculate using the QUOTIENT formula are,

Step 1: Select cell D2, enter the formula =B2/C2, press “Enter”, and drag the formula from cell D2 to D7 using the fill handle.

Step 2: Select cell E2, andenter the formula =QUOTIENT(B2,C2).

Step 3: Press the “Enter” key, and drag the formula from cell E2 to E7 using the fill handle.

[Note: The QUOTIENT function rounds down the values. However, it will not show the decimal values.]

The output is shown below, i.e., Sachin hits a boundary for every 14th run, Sehwag hits a boundary for every 9th run, etc.

Example #2

Let us consider a scenario of a unique problem.

One day I was busy with my analysis work, and one of the sales managers called and asked if I had an online client. I pitched him for $400,000 plus taxes, but he is asking me to include the tax in the $400,000 itself, i.e., he is requesting the product for $400,000 inclusive of taxes.

We need tax percentage, multiplication rule, and division rule to find the base value.

We must apply the Excel formula below to divide what we have shown in the image.

Firstly, the inclusive value is multiplied by 100, and then it is divided by 100 + tax percentage. So, that would give us the base value.

To cross-check, we can take 18% of $338,983, and add a percentage value of $338,983. We should get $400,000 as the overall value.

Sales managers can mention on the contract $338,983 + 18% tax.

We can also do this by using the QUOTIENT function. The below image is an illustration of the same.

How To Handle #DIV/0! Error In Excel Divide Formula?

In excel, when we are dividing, we get excel errorsErrors in excel are common and often occur at times of applying formulas. The list of nine most common excel errors are — #DIV/0, #N/A, #NAME?, #NULL!, #NUM!, #REF!, #VALUE!, #####, Circular Reference.read more as “#DIV/0!”. This section of the article will explain how to deal with those errors.

We have a five years budget vs. the actual number. So, we need to find out the variance percentages.

The steps to apply the Excel formula to divide are,

Step 1: Select cell D2, and enter the formula =(B2-C2)/B2.

By deducting the actual cost from the budgeted cost, we get the “Variance Amount”, and then we will divide the “Variance Amount” by the “Budgeted Cost” to get the “Variance Percentage”.

Step 2: Press “Enter”, and drag the formula from cell D2 to D6 using the fill handle. The output is shown below.

Step 3: The problem here is we got an error in the last year, 2018, i.e., cell D6. Since there are no budgeted numbers in 2018, we got #DIV/0! error because we cannot divide any number by zero.

We can eliminate this error by using the IFERROR function in excelThe IFERROR function in Excel checks a formula (or a cell) for errors and returns a specified value in place of the error.read more.

Therefore, select cell D6, enter the formula =IFERROR((B6-C6)/B6,0), and press “Enter”.

The output is shown below. The IFERROR function in Excel converts all the error values to zero.

Important Things To Note

• We get the “#DIV/0!” error if the denominator is zero.
• We get the “#VALUE!” errorif the numerator/denominator or both the values are non-numeric.
• If we type the backward slash “” instead of the forward slash “/”, we get the “#NAME?” error.

• For the QUOTIENT function, both the arguments are mandatory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Download Template

This article must help understand Excel Formula For Division. Here we divide numbers using forward slash “/” operator & QUOTIENT(), examples & a downloadable template. You can download the template here to use it instantly.

You can download this Division Formula Excel Template here – Division Formula Excel Template

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This article has been a step-by-step guide to Excel Formula For Division Here we discuss how to divide in Excel using the QUOTIENT function and handle #DIV/0! Error, along with practical examples and downloadable templates. You may learn more about Excel from the following articles: –

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Introduction to Divide in Excel

In Excel, the division is an arithmetic operation commonly used to divide numbers or values of the cell. It is one of the basic mathematical functions essential for solving complex numeric problems. Unlike addition, which has built-in functions such as the SUM function, no such function is available for division in Excel. To divide numbers or values of a cell in Excel, you need to start with an equal sign (=), followed by the numbers you want to divide, and put a forward slash (/) between the numbers.

Businesses often use the divide formula in Excel to calculate and perform various financial and work management tasks. For instance, they might calculate profit margins, monthly budgets, employee wages, expenditure reports, and other important metrics.

Let’s start by understanding how you can perform division in Excel.

Divide Formula in Excel
The arithmetic operation or formula for division in Excel starts with an equal sign (=) followed by entering the values or cell references you want to divide and a forward slash (/) between them.

How to Divide Numbers in a Cell in Excel?

To divide numbers in a cell, directly type the numbers within the cell and apply the divide formula. For example, if you want to divide 10 by 5, enter “=10/5”  in a cell and press “Enter”. The division formula “=10/5” will give a result of 2.

Note: Please start the formula with an equal sign (=) and use the (/) operator between two values in each cell to get the output. Or else Excel will consider the equation as a date. For instance, If you only type 10/5 in a cell, Excel will display 05-Oct.

Example #1

You can download this Divide Formula Excel Template here – Divide Formula Excel Template

How to Divide Numbers Using Cell References?

You can divide the numbers of two cells by specifying the cell references in the divide formula.
For example, we want to divide the Cell A1 value by the Cell B1 value and display the result in Cell C1.

Solution:
Enter the formula “=A1/B1” in Cell C1 and press “Enter”, where the Cell A1 value is the dividend and Cell B2 value is the divisor. The result will be displayed in Cell C1.

Example #2

How to Divide a Column of Numbers by a Constant Number?
Suppose you want to divide the value of each cell of a column by a certain number obtained in another cell. You can easily do this task. In the below example, you will learn how to divide the values of column A by the value of Cell B1.

Solution:
Step 1: Click on Cell C1
Step 2: Enter the formula =”A1/$B$1” and press “Enter”.

Note: The symbol $ in Excel is used for absolute cell references. If you place a dollar sign ($) in front of a row, that row is fixed, and if you place a dollar sign ($) in front of a column, that column is fixed. In the formula =”A1/$B$1”, the value of the divisor is constant as the value of Cell B1.

Result 2 is displayed in cell C1.

Step 3: Now, drag the cell with the formula to get the desired output.

Congratulations, you have successfully done this task.

Example #3

How to Divide Columns in Excel?
You can divide column 1 with column 2 by using the division formula. Consider the below table with numbers in columns A and B. Follow the below steps to learn how to divide two columns in Excel.

Solution:
Step 1: Click on the Cell D3.

Step 2: Enter the formula “=B3/C3” in Cell D3, as shown below.

Result 5 is displayed in Cell D3.

Step 3: Drag the formula on the corresponding cell to get the following output.

Example #4

How to Use the Division (/) Operator with Subtraction Operators (-) in Excel?
Under this method, you will learn to use division operators with other arithmetic operators like subtraction to solve complex division problems.

For example, you have the below data of salespersons and their actual sales in 2021 and 2022. You have to calculate the sales growth percentage for the respective salesperson in 2022. Here, you have to use the division formula along with the subtraction and percentage operator.

Solution:
Step 1: Click on the Cell D3
Step 2: Enter the formula “=(C3-B3)/B3” in Cell D3

Note: Using this formula, “=(C3-B3)/B3”, you can calculate the sales growth percentage for the respective salesperson.

The output is 9%.

Note: The answer to the formula “=(C3-B3)/B3” is 0.091910466. For converting the decimal value into a percentage, select Cell D3, go to the “Home” tab, and click “Percentage” in the Number section. The result is 9%, as shown in the above image.

Step 3: Drag the cell with the formula downwards to get the desired output

The above result shows the sales growth percentage for the individual salesperson.

Example # 5

We have the sales data for five famous companies (Apple, Tesla, Netflix, Starbucks, and McDonald’s) for 2021 and 2022 and the estimated figures for 2023. We need to calculate the percentage growth rate for each company for 2023 using basic mathematical operators such as division, subtraction, and the percentage operator.

Solution:
Step 1: Add the title “% Growth in 2023” to column E, as shown below.

Step 2: Click on Cell E2.
Step 3: Enter the formula “=(D2-C2)/C2”, as shown below.
According to this formula, we will subtract the sales value of 2022 from 2023 and then divide the result by the sales value of 2022. The output is the percentage increase in sales from 2022 to 2023.

Note: In this example, we used the formula’s opening and closing parenthesis, “( )”.

The output is 8%, as shown below.

Note: The formula “=(B2+C2)/D2” will give a decimal value. Thus, convert this decimal value into %.

Step 4: Now, drag the cell with the formula to get the result, as shown below.

The future sales growth in percentage for all five companies in 2023 is now ready.

How to Use the Division Operator (/) with Addition (+)?

Under this method, you will learn to use the division operator with the addition operator (+) with the help of the following examples.

Example #6

Using Nested Parentheses in Division Operator Using Addition (+)
In this example, we will calculate the average of the student’s marks in maths and science by using the division and addition operator.

The formula for calculating the average marks of students is:“Total Number of Marks Scored / Number of Subjects.
Solution:
Step 1: Add a new column, “Average”, as shown below.

Step 2: Enter the formula “=(C2+E2)/2” in Cell F2.
The formula states to add the marks of Maths and Science subjects and then divide by the total subject, i.e., 2.

Result 84 is displayed, as shown in the below image.

Step 3: Now, drag the cell with the formula to the rest of the cells.

The average score of the students in Maths and Science subjects is displayed.

How to Handle #DIV/0! Error Using IF Function?

While executing the division operation on a data set, Excel will display the error of #DIV/0! when the formula tries to divide a number by an empty cell or 0. In the following example, you will learn how to use the IF function, such as the “IFERROR” condition, to prevent and resolve the #DIV/0! Error.

Suppose you have the below table of dividends and divisors. You have applied the division formula to this data, and Excel has shown error #DIV/0! in Cell C3 and Cell C5 because Cell B3 and Cell B5 have no value. Now, you want to overcome this problem.

Solution:
Step 1: Click Cell G2 of the Result column.
Step 2: Enter the IFERROR formula “=IFERROR(E2/F2,””)” as shown below and press “Enter”.

Note: The Formula “=IFERROR(E2/F2,””)” indicates that divide the value of Cell E2 by Cell F2, and if there is an empty cell or 0 value, then leave the cell blank in the result column to avoid displaying of the #DIV/0! Error.

Output 4 is displayed.

Step 3: Drag the cell with the formula as shown below.

The result is displayed above, and Cell G3 and Cell G5 are blank instead of #DIV/0! Error.

Things to Remember while Using the Divide Function in Excel

• Put an equal sign (=) in the cell before using the divide formula.
• While selecting the data for calculation, do not select the row or column headers.
• If there is an empty cell or 0 value in the Cell, then Excel will throw an #DIV/0!
• You should properly use the opening and closing parenthesis in the division formula. For example, formulas like “=10/4-2” will give 0.5 output, and “=10/(4-2)” will give 5 output. Always remember, the “PEDMAS” is the order of calculations in Excel.
• If you want to display only the integer value of a division operation, use the QUOTIENT function of Excel.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)

Q1. What is the symbol for the divide in Excel?
Answer: The symbol or arithmetic operator used to represent divide or division in Microsoft Excel is “/”, a forward slash. The Excel division formula is “=x/y,” where x is the dividend and y is the divisor.

Q2. How to divide in Excel?
Answer: There are various methods to divide in Excel. You can directly type the numbers in a cell or divide two (or more) numbers by referring to a cell or constant number. As seen in the image below, you must use an equal sign (=) before the division formula and a forward slash (/) between the numbers or cells you want to divide.

Q3. What is the other method for division in Excel?
Answer: The alternate method for dividing numbers is using the “QUOTIENT” formula. When you want to display only the integer part of a division, use the formula “QUOTIENT(numerator, denominator)”. If a division equation has a remainder value, the QUOTIENT function will only return the integer value as an output. For example,” =3/2” returns 1.5 whereas “=QUOTIENT(3,2)” returns 1, where 1.5 is the remainder, and 1 is the integer/quotient.

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This article has been a guide to Dividing in Excel. Here we discuss the Divide Formula in Excel and How to use Divide Formula in various scenarios using practical examples. You also get a downloadable Excel template for your reference. Furthermore, you can read our other suggested articles.

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