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How to Subtract Numbers and Values in Google Sheets Spreadsheets

Google Sheets provides several easy ways to subtract numbers and values in your spreadsheets. Here is a step-by-step guide on the different methods you can use.

Using the Minus Sign

The simplest way to subtract two numbers or values in Google Sheets is by using the minus sign (-).

To subtract two numbers:

  1. Type the first number in a cell (e.g. 100)
  2. Type a minus sign after it (-)
  3. Type the number you want to subtract (e.g. 50)

So the formula would be =100-50.

To subtract values in two cells:

  1. Select a new cell
  2. Type an equals sign (=)
  3. Select the cell with the value to subtract from
  4. Type a minus sign (-)
  5. Select the cell with the value to subtract

For example, to subtract the value in cell A2 from cell B2, the formula would be =B2-A2.

You can also subtract a value from multiple cells using the same method.

Using the MINUS Function

Another way to subtract values is with the MINUS function. The syntax is:

=MINUS(value1, value2)

Where value1 is the number/cell to subtract from and value2 is the number/cell to subtract.

For example, to subtract 50 from 100:

=MINUS(100, 50)

To subtract cell A2 from B2:

=MINUS(B2, A2)

The MINUS function performs the same subtraction as the minus sign. So you can use either method.

Using the SUM Function

You can also subtract values with the SUM function by adding a minus sign before the value to subtract.

The syntax is:

=SUM(value1, -value2)

For example, to subtract 15 from 20:

=SUM(20, -15)

To subtract cell A3 from cell A2:

=SUM(A2, -A3)

This allows you to combine subtraction with summing values.

Subtracting Columns

To subtract one column of values from another:

  1. Select the column you want the result in
  2. Type = to start the function
  3. Select the column to subtract from
  4. Type -
  5. Select the column to subtract
  6. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to make it an array formula

For example, to subtract column A from column B, in cell B1 enter:

=B1:B10-A1:A10

And press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to make it an array formula.

Subtracting Dates

To subtract dates and find the number of days between them:

  1. Enter the later date in one cell and the earlier date in another cell
  2. In a third cell type = and select the cell with the later date
  3. Type -
  4. Select the cell with the earlier date

For example, if A2 is 6/15/2022 and B2 is 6/10/2022, then in C2 enter:

=A2-B2

This will calculate the number of days between the two dates.

Formatting Numbers

After subtracting values, you may want to format the cells to display the numbers correctly:

  1. Select the cells with the subtracted values
  2. Click Format > Number
  3. Choose the number format you want such as Currency, Percentage, etc.

Using these methods, you can easily subtract two numbers, cell values, columns of data, and dates in Google Sheets.

Advantages of Subtracting in Sheets

There are several benefits of doing calculations like subtraction directly in Google Sheets:

  • Automatic recalculation – Formulas update automatically when values change
  • Error checking – Formulas highlight errors and issues
  • Shareability – Spreadsheets can be shared and edited collaboratively
  • Visualizations – Charts and graphs can be created from calculated data
  • Compatibility – Sheets work across all devices and operating systems

Overall, conducting subtraction in Sheets saves time over manual calculations, reduces errors, and improves analysis with charts/graphs for data insights.

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