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DIVIDE

The DIVIDE formula is a mathematical operator used to divide one number by another. It returns the quotient (result of division) of the two numbers provided as input. This formula is commonly used in financial analysis to calculate growth rates, percentages, and ratios.

Usage

Use the DIVIDE formula with the syntax shown below, it has 2 required parameters:

=DIVIDE(dividend, divisor)
Parameters:
  1. dividend (required):
    The number to be divided. It can be a cell reference, a number, or a formula that returns a number.
  2. divisor (required):
    The number to divide by. It can be a cell reference, a number, or a formula that returns a number. Must be non-zero.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the DIVIDE formula in Google Sheets.

Calculate percentage change

To calculate the percentage change between two values, you can use the DIVIDE formula. Subtract the old value from the new value, and then divide the result by the old value. Multiply the quotient by 100 to get the percentage change.

Calculate ratios

The DIVIDE formula is useful for calculating ratios, such as debt-to-equity ratio, gross profit margin, or return on investment. Simply divide the relevant values to get the ratio.

Calculate averages

You can use the DIVIDE formula to calculate averages in Google Sheets. To get the average of a range of cells, use DIVIDE to divide the sum of the cells by the number of cells.

Common Mistakes

DIVIDE not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the DIVIDE Google Sheets Formula:

Dividing by zero

If the divisor is zero, the formula will return an error. Make sure to check the divisor and handle it appropriately.

Incorrect arguments

Ensure that the dividend and divisor are the correct data type and are in the correct format for the formula to work properly.

Not referencing cells

Make sure to reference cells that contain the dividend and divisor instead of typing in the values directly in the formula. This makes it easier to update the values later on.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to DIVIDE or are often used with it in a formula:

  • MULTIPLY

    The MULTIPLY formula is used to multiply two numbers together. It takes in two factors and returns their product. This formula is commonly used in various financial calculations, such as calculating the total cost of an order or the total revenue generated by a product.

  • SUM

    The SUM function in Google Sheets adds up a range of numbers. This function is most commonly used to sum the values in a range of cells.

  • AVERAGE

    The AVERAGE function calculates the average (arithmetic mean) of the values passed to it. It is commonly used to find the average of a range of cells containing numerical data.

  • MIN

    The MIN formula is a statistical function that returns the smallest value in a set of numbers. It is commonly used to find the minimum value from a range of cells or a list of values.

  • MAX

    The MAX function returns the maximum value from a range of cells or a set of supplied values. It is commonly used to find the largest value in a dataset.

Learn More

You can learn more about the DIVIDE Google Sheets function on Google Support.