Math
Counting numbers down a column
Definition
Counting numbers down a column means giving COUNT a column that may hold a text gap, so only the numbers are counted.
Syntax
=COUNT(value1, [value2], ...)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
value1 |
The column to check, such as B2:B4. |
value2, ... |
Optional extra cells or ranges. This lesson uses one column. |
Worked example
A tank log stores litres in B2:B4. One reading is the word hold.
| A: Tank | B: Litres |
|---|---|
| T1 | 20 |
| T2 | hold |
| T3 | 15 |
Formula: =COUNT(B2:B4)
Result: 2. 20 and 15 are numbers; hold is text, so it is skipped.
Practice
Cells C2:C4 hold 9, 7, and 4. Cell C5 holds gap. In D2, write a formula that counts how many cells in C2:C5 are numbers.
- In D2, write a COUNT formula for C2:C5.
- D2 should show how many numbers are in C2:C5.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =COUNT(C2:C5) in D2.
9, 7, and 4 are numbers. gap is not, so the count is 3.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
D2 uses COUNT.
D2 now shows 3.
The next lesson is Rounding to a whole number.
Related functions
COUNT is the function that skips the text gap and counts the numbers.
Common mistake
Using COUNTA instead, as in =COUNTA(B2:B4): that counts hold as well and returns 3, not 2.