How to multiply in Google Sheets (Multiply numbers, cells, columns, & rows)

In Google Sheets you can do math very easily, such as multiplying numbers, cells, and entire columns / rows. Spreadsheets multiplying fast and easy, from being able to do multiple multiplication formulas at once, to being able to use cell references so that your multiplication formula criteria is easily controlled by entering values into cells.

You can create your formula once and then it automatically performs the multiplication calculation as the data input changes.

In this lesson I will show you how to do all of that and more.

To multiply in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want to create a multiplication formula, then type an equals sign (=)
2. Type the first number (or the cell reference that contains the first number) that you want to multiply by
3. Type an asterisk (*)
4. Type the second number (or the cell reference that contains the second number) that you want to multiply by. The final formula will look like this: =7*5 (Or like this for cell references: =A1*A2)
5. Press “Enter” on the keyboard

After following the steps above, Google Sheets will display the result of the multiplication calculation in the cell that you entered the formula in.

Let’s say that you want to multiply the value that is in cell A1 (7) by the number “5”. To do this simply enter the formula =A1*5 in a cell, then press enter on the keyboard and the formula will display the result. In this case the result would be “35”, since 7*5=35 (shown in the image below).

=A1*5

Click here if you want to learn how to do all the different types of math in a Google spreadsheet.

Below are detailed examples that teach a variety of ways to multiply in a Google spreadsheet.

Multiply symbol / operator

The easiest and most common way to multiply in Google Sheets, is by using the multiply operator / symbol, which is an asterisk (*).

There is also a MULTIPLY function that allows you to multiply, but this function is not commonly used, and the operator method is much easier / more versatile, so we will stick to using operators in this lesson.

But here is an example of the MULTIPLY function: =MULTIPLY(10,A1)

Multiplying numbers

First let’s go over a basic example of multiplying by using numbers that are entered directly into the formula.

I like to use numbers entered directly into my multiplication formulas when there is a constant that I want to multiply by (when I know that one or both of the numbers that I am multiplying by will stay the same).

To multiply numbers in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want to create a multiplication formula, then type an equals sign (=)
2. Type the first number that you want to multiply by
3. Type an asterisk (*)
4. Type the second number that you want to multiply by. The final formula will look like this: =10*5
5. Press “Enter” on the keyboard

In this case the result would be “50”, since 10*5=50 (shown in the image below).

=10*5

Multiply by using cell references

What makes spreadsheets really useful for doing multiplication, is the ability to use cell references in your formulas. This allows you to refer to a cell that contains a number, rather than entering numbers directly into the formula.

When you use a cell reference for your multiplication formula, the value inside the cell can easily be changed and the formula will automatically perform the multiplication calculation with the new value, making it very fast and easy to do multiplication, especially when you are multiplying a large amount of data that changes frequently.

To multiply cells in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want to create a multiplication formula, then type an equals sign (=)
2. Type the cell reference that contains the first number that you want to multiply by
3. Type an asterisk (*)
4. Type the cell reference that contains the second number that you want to multiply by. The final formula will look like this: =B1*B2
5. Press “Enter” on the keyboard

Let’s say that you want to multiply the value in cell A2 (10) by the value that is in cell B2 (5). To do this simply enter the formula =A2*B2 in a cell, then press enter on the keyboard and the formula will display the result. In this case the result would be “50”, since 10*5=50 (shown in the image below).

=A2*B2

Using autofill (or copy / paste) to copy multiplication formulas

If you want to copy your multiplication formula down the column or through a row, this can be done easily by either using autofill, or by copying & pasting formulas.

Later I will show you how to use the ARRAYFORMULA function to apply a multiplication formula to a range of cells by using a single formula! But for now let’s go over how to quickly copy individual multiplication formulas.

Method 1: To copy and paste your multiplication formula into other cells, copy the cell with the multiplication formula in it by pressing Ctrl + C on the keyboard, select the cell that you want to copy the formula to, then paste by pressing Ctrl + V on the keyboard.

Method 2: To copy your multiplication formula by using autofill, select the cell that has the formula in it, hover your cursor over the bottom-right corner of the cell until the plus sign appears (the fill handle), click your mouse and hold the click, drag your cursor across the cells that you want to copy the formula into, then release your click when you have selected all of the cells that you want to copy the multiplication formula into.

With both of these methods, Google Sheets will automatically adjust the cell references when the formulas are copied into adjacent cells, so that each new formula is correctly referring to the appropriate column / row.

For example if you enter the formula =A1*2 (in cell B1), and then copy the formula from cell B1 into cell B2, then Google Sheets will automatically adjust the reference so that the new formula will be =A2*2.

So when you copy a formula down the column, the row references will adjust, and when you copy a formula throughout a row, the column references will adjust.

Locking cell references for multiplication formulas

If you have a situation where you want to lock the references in your multiplication formula so that they do not change when you copy them into other cells, use a dollar sign ($) before the reference that you want to lock.

Put a dollar sign before the column letter if you want the column reference to be locked, and put a dollar sign before the row number if you want the row reference to be locked.

• =$A1*2 (Locked column reference)
• =A$1*2 (Locked row reference)
• =$A$1*2 (Locked column & locked row reference)

Below are several detailed examples of using autofill to copy multiplication formulas.

Multiplying columns of data with autofill

In this example we will go over how to copy multiplication formulas vertically down a column.

To multiply columns in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Enter your multiplication formula in the first cell at the top of the column
2. Select the cell with the formula in it, and hover your cursor over the bottom-right corner of the cell until a plus sign appears
3. Click your mouse and hold the click, then drag your cursor down the column
4. Release your click when you have highlighted all of the cells that you want to copy your multiplication formula into

As you can see in the image below, the following formula is entered into cell C2:

=A2*B2

We are going to copy the formula down the column into the cells below by using autofill / the fill handle.

First we select cell C2, then hover the cursor over the bottom-right corner of the cell until the plus sign / cross appears, as shown in the image below.

Then click your mouse, hold the click, and drag your cursor downwards until you have reached cell C5, then release your click.

As you can see in the image below, the formula from cell C2 has now been copied into the cells below it, into the range C2:C5. You can also see that the formula in cell C5 has had its row references adjusted, and the formula in cell C5 is A5*B5. This is exactly what we wanted the spreadsheet to do, since our references are pointing at the correct rows.

Multiplying rows of data with autofill

You can also use the autofill / the fill handle to copy formulas to the left and right. Now let’s go over how to copy multiplication formulas horizontally through a row.

To multiply rows in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Enter your multiplication formula in the first cell on the left of the row
2. Select the cell with the formula in it, and hover your cursor over the bottom-right corner of the cell until a plus sign / cross appears
3. Click your mouse and hold the click, then drag your cursor to the right
4. Release your click when you have selected all of the cells that you want to copy your multiplication formula into

As you can see in the image below, the following formula is entered into cell B3:

=B1*B2

We are going to copy the formula into the cells to the right in the same row, by using autofill / the fill handle.

First we select cell B3, then hover the cursor over the bottom-right corner of the cell until the plus sign / cross appears, as shown in the image below.

Then click your mouse, hold the click, and drag your cursor to the right until you have reached cell E3, then release your click.

As you can see in the image below, the formula from cell B3 has now been copied into the cells to the right of it, into the range B3:E3. You can also see that the formula in cell E3 has had its column references adjusted, and the formula in cell E3 is E1*E2. This is exactly what we wanted Google Sheets to do, since our references are pointing at the correct columns.

Using ARRAYFORMULA to extend formulas

There is a formula called ARRAYFORMULA that allows you to perform calculations on an entire range of data, such as multiplying entire columns or rows, by using a single formula. Here’s how to multiply entire columns and rows using ARRAYFORMULA.

Multiplying entire columns

In this example we will use ARRAYFORMULA to multiply an entire column by using a single formula.

To multiply entire columns with a single formula, follow these steps:

1. Enter your multiplication formula in a cell at the top of the column, like this: =A2*B2
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter on the keyboard to turn the multiplication formula into an ARRAYFORMULA formula
3. Change any cell references to a range / column reference, like this: =ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A*B2:B)
4. Press enter on the keyboard

This formula tells Google Sheets to multiply each corresponding cell in column A by the respective cell in column B.

As you can see in the image below, the formula in cell C2 is calculating multiplication for the entire range C2:C5 by using a single formula.

Multiplying entire rows

In this example we will use ARRAYFORMULA to multiply an entire row by using a single formula. This is very similar to multiplying entire columns, but in this case we will specify rows for our references rather than columns. Notice how in the previous example the reference looked like this A1:A, but in this example the reference looks like this A1:1.

To multiply entire rows with a single formula, follow these steps:

1. Enter your multiplication formula in a cell on the right of the row, like this: =B1*B2
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter on the keyboard to turn the multiplication formula into an ARRAYFORMULA formula
3. Change any cell references to a range / row reference, like this: =ARRAYFORMULA(B1:1*B2:2)
4. Press enter on the keyboard

This formula tells Google Sheets to multiply each corresponding cell in row 1 by the respective cell in row 2.

As you can see in the image below, the formula in cell B3 is calculating multiplication for the entire range B3:E3 by using a single formula.

Now you know all of the different ways to multiply in Google Sheets!

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