Question

Explain the functions of SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT in MS Excel.

Hint:

Remember: SUM = Total, AVERAGE = Mean, COUNT = Number of numeric entries.

Answer 1

Concept: Basic MS Excel Functions

MS Excel provides built-in functions to perform calculations easily.

SUM, AVERAGE, and COUNT are basic and commonly used statistical functions.

 

Step 1: SUM Function

Purpose	Syntax	Example	Explanation
Adds numbers in a range of cells	=SUM(range)	=SUM(A1:A5)	Adds values from cell A1 to A5

 

Step 2: AVERAGE Function

Purpose	Syntax	Example	Explanation
Calculates the mean (average)	=AVERAGE(range)	=AVERAGE(B1:B10)	Returns the average of values in B1 to B10

 

Step 3: COUNT Function

Purpose	Syntax	Example	Explanation
Counts numeric cells only	=COUNT(range)	=COUNT(C1:C20)	Counts cells containing numbers (ignores text and blanks)

 

Step 4: Comparison Table

Function	What It Does
SUM	Adds numbers
AVERAGE	Finds mean value
COUNT	Counts numeric cells

 

Conclusion

These functions simplify calculations in Excel and are essential for data analysis and spreadsheets.