How to Divide in Microsoft Excel: 5 Methods With Examples

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Updated on: March 24, 2023

Whether you’re working with financial data, sales figures, or any other numerical information, quickly and accurately dividing numbers is essential for making informed decisions and achieving your goals.

So don't underestimate the power of division in Excel! In this article, you will discover: How to Divide in Microsoft Excel: 5 methods with examples.

Read on and take the time to watch as it transforms how you work and achieves your objectives with the following approaches.

Method 1: Using the Divide Function

Firstly, Excel provides the divide function, which is the most primal of all and is represented by the forward slash (/) symbol on your keyboard. The divide function takes two or more numbers as arguments. It divides the first number by the second number following this Syntax:

=number1/number2

Number 1 is the numerator, and number 2 is the denominator, such as in the math you learned at school. And to obtain the result, you only must press Enter to display it.

Note: Remember that the numerator is the number divided, and the denominator is the number the numerator is being divided by.

For example, if you want to divide 10 by 5, type =10/5 in the cell and press Enter. The result, which is 2, will be displayed in the cell.

Method 2: Using the Quotient Function

The Quotient function returns the integer portion of a division operation. This function is useful when you ought to divide numbers and get the result as a whole number without any decimals. To use the quotient function in Excel, follow the steps below:

  1. Open Excel and select the cell where you want to display the result of the division.
  2. Type the formula =QUOTIENT(number1;number2), where number1 is the numerator, and number2 is the denominator.
  3. Press Enter to display the result.

For example, if you want to divide 10 by 3 and get the result as a whole number, type =QUOTIENT(10, 3) in the cell and press Enter. The cell will display the number 3, which is the closest value.

Method 3: Using the MOD Function

This approach includes a mathematical function that returns the remainder of a division operation. To do that, it takes two arguments: the first is the number you want to divide, and the second is the divisor. Then, the function calculates the remainder when the first argument is divided by the second.

For example, if you want to find the remainder of 10 divided by 3, you would use the MOD function by typing this syntax:

=MOD(10,3). The result of this formula would be 1 since 10 divided by 3 equals 3 with a remainder of 1.

The MOD function is helpful in a variety of situations: when you need to determine if a number is even or odd or when you need to create a repeating pattern (by dividing a series of numbers by the length of the pattern and using the rest to determine the following positions).

Method 4: Using the Paste Special Function

The Excel Paste Special function can do more than you can imagine. One of them is dividing numbers. Hence, pay attention to knowing how you can use it by doing the following:

  1. Once you are on your spreadsheet, copy the denominator, the value you need to divide the number you wish.
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  1. Select the cell where you have your numerator (the number you want to divide) and right-click on it.
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  1. Click on Paste Special in the context menu.
  2. In the Paste Special dialog box, click the Divide radio button under Operations within the Paste Special dialog box.
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  1. Click OK to apply the division operation.
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Method 5: Using the Divide Operator to divide ranges

Such as the first method above, you’re going to use the forward divide slash (/) symbol operator. The difference is that you can use the divide operator to divide numbers in a range of cells. To use the divide operator in Excel, follow the syntax below:

=Range1/Range2 where Range1 is the range of cells containing the numerators and Range2 is the range containing the denominators. 

For example, if you have a list of numbers in cells A1:A5 and in cells B1:B5 and want to divide the numbers in column A by the numbers in column B, you would type within cell =A1:A5/B1:B5 and press the Enter key. The result will be displayed in the cell, dividing each number in column A by the corresponding number in column B.

Do you want to know more?

By mastering this primary function in Excel, you'll be able to save time, reduce errors, and unlock new insights into your data. So, take your productivity abilities to the next level with our Excel course at Skillademia. Show off yourself with every Excel report you do!

Lorena M. Rodas leverages her experience across film, writing, and production to make complex tech concepts accessible through storytelling. With a background spanning sci-fi, AI, and emerging tech, Lorena translates her depth of knowledge into engaging, educational content. She is an expert at decoding high-level topics to reach broad audiences.
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