0
Without it, Excel will treat what you type in as a number, date or text. What you type will then literally appear in the cell. All functions start with letters. If the first thing you type is a letter, then it would be treated as text. The equals sign tells Excel to do the calculation that follows it. If you try typing any formula or function without an equals sign it will just appear in the cell and not do a calculation.
Wiki User
∙ 12y ago
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoIt tells Excel that there is a formula and that it should be calculated. Without the equals sign it is treated as a bit of text. After the equals most formulas the have a letter, as part of the name of a function or a cell reference. Doing the following is just a bit of text for a cell:
SUM(A2:A230)
Whereas doing the following is a formula to sum the values from A2 to A30:
=SUM(A2:A30)
There are times you will want to type some text into a cell that could be a formula, so it is the equals sign that tells Excel that it is a formula.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Does equal sign proceeds a formula?
If you mean in Excel, yes: you must always start a formula with an equal sign.
Used to indicate the start of a formula?
Equal sign (=)
What is used to indicate the start of a formula?
equal sign (=)
What should you start every formula with?
equal sign
What is required to start a formula?
Formulas must start with the equal sign (=).
What is the thing typed in the active cell to start a formula?
The first character in a cell to indicate a formula is the equal sign (=).
What symbol is typed first when a formula is entered in excel?
An equal sign because in order for the formula to go through correctly it has to have an (=)
Do a formula has to have an equal sign in every spreadsheet?
If you mean "spreadsheet program", not necessarily. That's a standard used in Excel; in older spreadsheets, such as Lotus 1-2-3, the formula used to start with a plus sign instead. A minus could be used as well, if it was appropriate for the formula. However, nowadays it seems to have become quite standard for formulae to start with an equal sign.
Which sign is called the formula prefix?
equal sign (=)
What does an equal sign mean in Excel?
The equal sign in Excel is used to start a formula. All formulas begin with the equals sign. It can also be used for comparing things. In the following example, the first equals sign is starting the formula and the second one is comparing cell A2 and B2: =A2=B2
How would you start typing a formula into a cell?
You must start all formulas with an equal (=) sign. This symbol will tell Excel that you want to write a flormula.
What is the first thing you have to type into a cell when crating a formula?
an equal sign =
