Excel SUM Practice Question: Build a running total of the daily sales in column C. Using SUM with a locked…
The question
Build a running total of the daily sales in column C. Using SUM with a locked start cell, fill C2 to C5.
The data
| A | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day | Sales | Running total |
| 2 | Day 1 | 1200 | ? |
| 3 | Day 2 | 1800 | ? |
| 4 | Day 3 | 900 | ? |
| 5 | Day 4 | 2100 | ? |
The yellow cells are where your answer goes.
Show answer
Expected results:
- C2 = 1200
- C3 = 3000
- C4 = 3900
- C5 = 6000
How it works
Explanation: Locking the first cell with $ and leaving the last cell free makes the range grow as you copy the formula down. That gives a running total.
Syntax: =SUM($B$2:B2)
Day 1: 1200. Day 2: 1200 + 1800 = 3000. Day 3: 3000 + 900 = 3900. Day 4: 3900 + 2100 = 6000.
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=SUM(number1, [number2], ...)
Adds up all the numbers in a range — the most-used formula in Excel. Totaling four quarters of sales into an annual figure. Full SUM guide.
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