SUM() – Calculates the sum of numbers in a range

The SUM() function adds together all the numbers within a specified range of cells. It is a fundamental function for totaling values.

Syntax

SUM(range)

range: A continuous range of cells whose numeric values you want to add (e.g., T1A1:T1A10, T1B1:T1D1).

Basic example

SUM(T1A1:T1A10)

This formula calculates the sum of all numbers in cells T1A1 through T1A10.

Example output:

If cells T1A1:T1A10 contain the numbers [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10], the formula returns 55.
If cells T1A1:T1A4 contain [10, "text", 20, empty_cell], the formula returns 30 (10 + 20).

Key features

Numeric summation: Only numeric values within the specified range are added.
Ignores text: Text values within the range are ignored and do not cause an error or contribute to the sum.
Ignores empty cells: Blank cells within the range are ignored and treated as zero in the summation.

Practical uses

Calculating total sales, expenses, or any other financial figures.
Summing scores, quantities, or measurements.
Getting a total count of items if they are represented numerically in a range.

Common mistakes

Incorrect range specification: Ensure the range is correctly defined (e.g., T1A1:T1A10, not T1A1-T1A10 or using commas for a single continuous range).
Numbers formatted as text: If numbers are accidentally entered or formatted as text (and MathGrid cannot automatically convert them), they might be ignored by SUM(). Ensure values intended for summation are true numbers.