In Excel, a formula always starts with which symbol?

In Excel, a formula is a sequence of values, cell references, functions, or operators that produces a new value. To signal to Excel that you are entering a formula, it must always begin with an equals sign (=). This foundational concept allows Excel to differentiate between plain text or numbers and a calculation it needs to perform.

• A. = (Correct): The equals sign is the universal indicator for a formula in Excel.
• B. + (False): While you can start a formula with a plus sign, Excel automatically converts it to an equals sign, making '=' the fundamental starting symbol.
• C. - (False): Similar to '+', starting with a minus sign will also be converted to '=' by Excel, indicating a negative value or subtraction within a formula.
• D. / (False): The forward slash is an arithmetic operator for division and cannot initiate a formula on its own.