There are times when we just want to count the number of cells that contain numbers in a given range. This is best done by the use of Excel COUNT Function. But without a deeper knowledge of this formula, one might not be able to count the cells that contain figures in an Excel worksheet. This article looks at how to use the Excel COUNT function to count the cells with numbers.
General formula
=COUNT(value1,[value2]…)
The formula has got the following two arguments:
- Value 1: this is an item, range or a cell reference. Value 1 is mandatory for the function to work.
- Value 2: this is also an item, range or cell reference. Value 2 is optional, and thus even without it, the function can still work.
Explanation
The Excel COUNT function is responsible for counting the number of numbers in a supplied value. At the same time, this function can help us count the number of arguments that contain numbers. We use this Excel function to count numbers in any given set of array.
This function only counts cells with numbers. This shows that if you have other things in your specified range, they will not be counted.
How the Excel COUNT function works
For us to fully understand how this function works, we have to consider a few examples. Let us look at the first example below:
Example
Figure 1: How to use Excel COUNT Function
Assuming that we have recorded entries as from 1st January to 12th January, with empty blanks for those dates when we forgot, and N/A for those that our entries did not apply. We can count the number of days when we made the entries as follows:
=COUNT(B2:B13)
The formula will highlight the entire range of B2:B13 as shown in figure 2 below.
Figure 2: The Excel COUNT Function
When you press “Enter”, the Excel COUNT Function will count the number of cells that contain only numbers. And the result will be as shown in figure 3 below:
Figure 3: Excel COUNT Function in practice
Conclusion
The Excel COUNT Function is crucial when one wants to know the number of days when certain entries were made. Without it, it will not just be hard, but also tedious to find the number of entries made within a given period.
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