There are many ways to skin a cat, so the saying goes. In spreadsheets, there are multiple ways to achieve the same result when performing an operation – such as addition, division, equal to, etc. 
See below to view our 3-minute video tutorial and reference chart.
For every operation, there is a function name and a symbol. Either can perform the operation to generate the same outcome. In some cases, an operator can be performed by not just 1 but 2 functions!
For instance, let’s multiply the number in Cell A1 to the number in Cell B1. Here, we can solve this in 3 ways – using one of 2 function names or the symbol:
- Function: = MULTIPLY (A1, B1)
- Function: = PRODUCT (A1, B1)
- Symbol: = A1 * B1
All lead to equivalent results! The same applies for the addition operation. We can use function names, ADD or SUM, or the symbol, +.
Do you know the Order of Operations? Test your knowledge in this spreadsheet quiz: Order of Operations Spreadsheet Quiz
To view a 3-minute video tutorial on operators, see below: