How to differentiate between function and formula in Microsoft Excel?

A formula is statement written by the user to be calculated. Formulas can be as simple or as complex as the user wants. A formula can contain values, references to cells, defined names, and functions.

All formulas must start with the equals sign. =1+2+3

A function is a piece of code designed to calculate specific values and are used inside formulas. Functions to sum values, calculate a trigonometric cosine, and to calculate the current time are built into excel. Additional functions can be defined using Visual Basic.

In Excel, formulas allow the user to carry out mathematical calculations ranging from simple addition or subtraction and ranging to far more complex operations. Entering a formula always begins with clicking on the cell where the result of the formula is to appear and then entering the equal sign (=) to indicate to the program that a formula is about to appear.

It is possible to enter numbers directly into the formula, but it is better to enter cell locations, so that if changes are necessary to those values, the formula still works. Using constant numbers means that it is necessary to revise the formula with each change.

Functions add flexibility to spreadsheets by bringing decision-making and other elements into the process. Functions test certain conditions within the spreadsheet to see if they are true. Depending on the answer, other calculations take place. For example, a function could test sales price levels for certain merchandise items. If shipping is based on the price of items, the subsequent calculation could apply shipping fees to a bill after the customer has placed the order.

Formula:- It’s a statement which is written by the user (user-created) to be calculated. A formula can contain values, cell references, defined names, and functions.

Functions:- Functions are in-built codes provided in MS-Excel, such as IF, COUNT, SUM, AVERAGE and so on. And, if additional functions are required we can create through VBA. This will carry out an operation of some kind and provide an output value. Functions are used inside formulas.

A formula is statement written by the user to be calculated. Formulas can be as simple or as complex as the user wants. All formulas must start with the equals sign. =1+2+3

A function is a piece of code designed to calculate specific values and are used inside formulas.

A function is built in within Excel and a formula is done by the user. 

A function for example are built-in functions like average, sum, max, min, etc. For example =average(a1:a3) gives the average of cells a1, a2 and a3.

A formula on the other hand is built by the user like =(a1+a2+a3)/3 , which is essentially the average of those three cells.

That's my attempt at answering this question.

A formula is statement written by the user to be calculated.

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A function is a piece of code designed to calculate specific values and are used inside formulas. 

Function is a piece of code designed to calculate specific values & are used inside formulas.Formula is statement written by the user to be calculated.

 I leave the answer for experts..Thanks for the invite

The terms Function and Formula are quite confusing in Microsoft (MS) Excel. At times, even its best users, make the mistake of using them (formulas and functions) interchangeably; whereas, there exist a subtle difference between them.

A "formula" refers any statement or expression used in MS Excel for computation or analysis. It is specific to a cell. That is to say, in very simple terms, the result of a formula appears in a specific cell. It basically enables to obtain a precise desired result after processing one, two or more cells. Some formulas could be very simple, while some others very complex, depending on the user's demands.

To write a formula in MS Excel, there exist so many different ways, but for the purpose of our differentiation from functions, the option I will propose is, to move to the formula bar (found just above the column headings - A, B, C...)  and type your requirement. In MS Excel, all formulas start with an equal sign (=), followed by your statement or expression.

Examples of formulas in MS Excel can include "finding result obtained after multiplying two cells" [that is; say, Cell A1 times Cell A2 - written in Excel formula bar as: =A1*A2], "finding the cosine of a cell" [that is; say, Cosine of Cell A1 - written in Excel formula bar as: =COS(A1)], "finding the result obtained after multiplying two cells and adding the result of this multiplication to a third cell" [that is; say, Cell A1 times Cell A2, All plus Cell A3 - written in Excel formula bar as: =A1*A2+A3 or better still, =(A1*A2)+A3]. There are so many possible options for formulas: even "finding the largest (maximum) number of a range".

Now differentiating formulas from functions,

Functions are predefined formulas provided by MS in order to aid computation or analysis. They are formulas which already exist in the program, aimed at simplifying our "finding process".

All functions constitute formulas, but not all formulas are functions.  

Functions are diverse. On MS Excel, we have a varieties of functions found under a whole ribbon entitled FORMULAS (an additive fact supporting my statement). We discover financial, logical, mathematical and trigonometric functions under this ribbon.

Note that functions are always abbreviated: SUM, MAX, COS,... and since they are formulas: =SUM, =MAX, =COS...

It is therefore clear: formulas are statements or expressions used in MS Excel for computations or analysis, while functions are pre-set formulas provided by MS to aid users in these processes.  

Thanks for invitation

I am apologies to answer this question because it's not my specialist field 

thanks for invite agree with answers here