How to Multiply in Google Sheets

Quick Note

• To multiply values using an asterisk for multiply in Google Sheets, you can directly use the asterisk (*) between two values or cell references.
• There also two functions in Google Sheet which you can use to multiply two numbers. MULTIPLY and PRODUCT.

In Google Sheets, you can do simple to most complex calculations which makes it one of the most powerful spreadsheet applications. You need to know all kind of calculations to perform in it. Let’s talk about multiply in Google Sheets.

Let’s say you have a list of products, each with a unit price and quantity. You can multiply the unit price by the quantity for each item to find the total amount of the bill. In the tutorial, you will learn to use multiple values in Google Sheets differently.

So, let’s get started…

Simple Multiple in Google Sheets (*)

Let’s say you want to multiply two number in a single cell, in this case, you can use the below formula which have two hard values within the cell using an asterisk (*).

To directly include values in a formula in Google Sheets, you can enter the numbers directly into the formula. For example:

=30*50

This formula multiplies 30 by 50 and returns 1500 when entered in any cell.

When using direct values in a formula, like =30 * 50, ensure that the numbers entered directly in it are accurate, as they can’t be dynamically updated like references to cell values.

Using Cell References in the Formula to Multiply

Let’s say you want to multiply the number 10 in cell A1 by the number 5 in cell B1. You would use:

=A1*B1

1. Start by clicking on cell C1, where you want the result to be added.
2. Now, type =A1*B1 into cell C1.
3. Since cell A1 contains 10 and cell B1 contains 20.
4. Press Enter, and cell C2 will show the result, which is 200.

Using cell references in formulas, like =A2*B2, is good for dynamic calculations. This method allows your formulas to update automatically if the input values change.

Create a Dynamic ArrayFormula to Multiply Multiple Cells

To create a dynamic formula that multiplies corresponding values across two ranges, you can use the ARRAYFORMULA combined with the multiplication operator.

Suppose you have two ranges A1:A6 and B1:B6, and you want to multiply each corresponding of cells from these ranges. You can use the following formula:

=ARRAYFORMULA(A1:A6 * B1:B6)

Using the Multiply Function in Google Sheets

Moving on, we also have a function called MULTIPLY.

This MULTIPLY function is specifically designed to multiply two numbers. You can use it by entering =MULTIPLY(number1, number2) into a cell, where number1 and number2 are the values you want to multiply.

You have seen in the above example, we have a list of number in the column A and in column B, and in the column C we have used the MULTIPY function to get the result.

Using the PRODUCT Function to Multiply more than Two Numbers

In Google Sheets, the PRODUCT function multiplies a series of numbers together. It is slightly different from the MULTIPLY function.

You can list the numbers or cell references inside the function, separated by commas, or specify a range of cells.

For example, =PRODUCT(A1, A2, A3) multiplies the values in cells A1, A2, and A3.

And you can also use it like =PRODUCT(A1:A3) to multiply all the values from A1 to A3.

Note – PRODUCT is helpful for larger, variable sets of multiplications, while MULTIPLY provides a clear, direct calculation between two specific numbers.

Understanding Cell Reference in Google Sheets

Cell references refer to specific cells in a sheet and are used in formulas to refer to the data within those cells. For instance, if you write =A1 * B1 in a formula, the formula will use the data from cells A1 and B1.