Finding the AVERAGE Function
As with all other built-in functions in Google Spreadsheets, you can access the AVERAGE function by selecting Insert > Function in the menus to open a drop-down list of commonly used functions that includes the AVERAGE function. Alternatively, because it is so widely used, a shortcut to the function has been added to the program’s toolbar to make it even easier to find and use.
Google Spreadsheets AVERAGE Function Example
The steps below cover how to use the shortcut to the AVERAGE function mentioned above.
The AVERAGE Function’s Syntax and Arguments
A function’s syntax refers to the layout of the function and includes the function’s name, brackets, comma separators, and arguments. The syntax for the AVERAGE function is: =AVERAGE(number_1, number_2, …number_30)
number_1 — (required) the data to be averaged by the function number_2 to number_30 — (optional) additional data values to be included in the average. The maximum number of entries allowed is 30
The number arguments can contain:
A list of numbers to be average. Cell references to the location of the data in the worksheet. A range of cell references. A named range.
If you alter cells that are blank or contain text or Boolean values later to hold numbers, the average will recalculate to accommodate the changes.
Blank Cells vs. Zero
When it comes to finding average values in Google Spreadsheets, there is a difference between blank or empty cells and those containing a zero value. Blank cells are ignored by the AVERAGE function, which can be very handy since it makes finding the average for non-contiguous cells of data very easy. Cells containing a zero value, however, are included in the average.
