How to Type the Division Sign in Excel & Google Sheets

In this tutorial, you will learn how to insert division signs in Excel.

 

 

Divide Using Division Sign (/)

We can easily divide two numbers in Excel, using the division sign (/). Use it between the dividend and divisor in the cell:

= dividend / divisor

Let’s say we want to divide 9 by 3 and get the result in cell B2. We need to enter in B2:

= 9 / 3

 

 

Division Using Cell References

Instead of constants, we can also divide using cell references. Let’s say that we have 10 in cell E2 and 4 in E3 and we want to divide them and get the result in cell B2. We need to enter:

= E2 / E3

in cell B2, as our dividend is in E2 and divisor is in E3.

 

 

As a result, we get 2.5 in cell B2. If we change values in E2 or E3, the result of division in B2 will update accordingly.

Division by Zero Error

If we try to divide any number by zero, we’ll get the division by zero error (#DIV/0!). For example, entering:

= 10 / 0

in cell B2 yields the division by zero error, shown below.

 

 

If necessary, we can use the IF Function to avoid getting the #DIV/o! error.

Insert Division Sign (÷) as Text

We can also insert a division sign (÷) as text, using symbols. Of course, this sign won’t calculate anything and will only be read as text. This can be useful to visually explain the division calculation in an adjacent cell. For example, let’s say that in cell C2, we have the formula:

= 9 / 3

and the result, 3, is displayed. Now we want to make it clear how we got to this value; in cell B2, we want to enter “9 ÷ 3 =”. To this, (1) type 9 and SPACE. Then in the Ribbon, (2) go to the Insert tab, (3) choose Symbol, (4) click on the division sign (÷) and (5) press Insert. After the symbol is inserted, (6) complete the text with ” 3 =”.

 

 

Now the formula in C2 is visually described by the text in B2.

Division Signs in Google Sheets

Everything that we mentioned for dividing using the division sign (/) in Excel works exactly the same in Google Sheets.

Google Sheets does not have a symbols feature, so if you want to insert the text division sign (÷), you need to open Google Docs, and go to Insert > Special characters > Symbol > Math > division sign. Then copy and paste the symbol from the document into your worksheet.