How to Build Array Formulas in Excel 2013
To get an idea of how you build and use array formulas in an Excel 2013 worksheet, consider the sample worksheet. This worksheet is designed to compute the biweekly wages for each employee. It will do this by multiplying each employee’s hourly rate by the number of hours worked in each pay period. Instead of creating the following formula in cell R10, you copy down the cells R11 through R13:
=A4*R4
You can create the following array formula in the array range:
={A4:A7*R4:R7}
This array formula multiplies each of the hourly rates in the 4 x 1 array in the range A4:A7 with each of the hours worked in the 4 x 1 array in the range R4:R7. This same formula is entered into all cells of the array range (R10:R13) as soon as you complete the formula in the active cell R10.
To see how this is done, follow along with the steps required to build this array formula:
Make cell R10 the current cell, and then select the array range R10:R13 and type = (equal sign) to start the array formula.
You always start an array formula by selecting the cell or cell range where the results are to appear. Note that array formulas, like standard formulas, begin with the equal sign.
Select the range A4:A7 that contains the hourly rate for each employee as shown, type an * (asterisk for multiplication), and then select the range R4:R7 that contains the total number of hours worked during the first pay period.
Press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to insert an array formula in the array range.
When you press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to complete the formula, Excel inserts braces around the formula and copies the array formula {=A4:A7*R4:R7} into each of the cells in the array range R10:R13.
When entering an array formula, you must remember to press Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead of just the Enter key because this special key combination tells Excel that you are building an array formula, so that the program encloses the formula in braces and copies it to every cell in the array range.
Also, don’t try to create an array formula by editing it on the Formula bar and then insert curly braces because this doesn’t cut it. The only way to create an array formula is by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter to complete the formula entry.
Following is the February wage table after completing all the array formulas in three ranges: R10:R13, AI10:AI13, and AJ10:AJ13. In the second cell range, AI10:AI13, the following array formula was entered to calculate the hourly wages for the second pay period in February:
{=A4:A7*AI4:AI7}
In the third cell range, AJ10:AJ13, I entered the following array formula to calculate the total wages paid to each employee in February 2003:
{=R10:R13+AI10:AI13}
When you enter an array formula, the formula should produce an array with the same dimensions as the array range that you selected. If the resulting array returned by the formula is smaller than the array range, Excel expands the resulting array to fill the range. If the resulting array is larger than the array range, Excel doesn’t display all the results.
When expanding the results in an array range, Excel considers the dimensions of all the arrays used in the arguments of the operation. Each argument must have the same number of rows as the array with the most rows and the same number of columns as the array with the most columns.

Excel Glossary
active cell
The worksheet cell that contains the cell cursor. Each worksheet can have only one active cell.

Excel Glossary
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A feature that looks at the entries that you make in a worksheet column and automatically duplicates them in subsequent rows whenever you start a new entry that begins with the same letter or letters as an existing entry in that column.

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AutoCorrect
A feature that alerts Excel 2007 to common typing errors and your own typing errors (that you specify) and tells the program how it should automatically fix them for you.

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AutoFill
An Excel 2007 feature that quickly creates a series of entries based on the data you enter in one or two cells. AutoFill works with days of the week, months of the year, yearly quarters; consecutive series of numbers; and formulas. You also can add your own custom AutoFill series.

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cell
The intersection of a column and row in the worksheet.

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cell address
The cell identifier, determined by its column letter(s) followed by the row number, as in cell A1, the very first cell of each worksheet at the intersection of column A and row 1.

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cell cursor
The black border that surrounds the active cell in a worksheet.

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clip art
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A utility in Excel 2007 and 2010 that you use to find potential compatibility issues if you plan to save an Excel workbook file in the older Excel 97–2003 file format.

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current cell
The worksheet cell that contains the cell cursor. Each worksheet can have only one current cell.

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data table
A range of cells in a worksheet in which you enter a series of possible values that Excel plugs into a formula so you can perform what-if analysis on the data.

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dialog box
A rectangular window with settings and commands that appears when you click a dialog box launcher or certain other commands on the Ribbon.

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dialog box launcher
A small icon in the lower-right corner of a group of command buttons on the Ribbon that you click to access a dialog box with additional related settings and commands.

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A part of a formula that takes a number of specific arguments and then returns a single value based on those arguments.

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gallery
A drop-down list of thumbnail selections that appears when you click certain command buttons on the Ribbon.

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group
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Specially formatted text that anyone can click to jump to Web sites, move to other cells or workbooks, or create an e-mail message.

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keyboard shortcuts
A combination of keys that you can press to execute certain commands, as opposed to finding and clicking the commands' buttons on the Ribbon or elsewhere.

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A feature in Excel 2007 that enables you to point to thumbnails on a drop-down gallery to see how a new font, font size, table style, or cell style would look on your selected data before you actually apply it.

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macro
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The left-most section of the Formula bar that displays the address or name of the current cell.

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Ribbon
A new feature of the Excel 2007 interface that replaces the menus and toolbars of previous versions; appears at the top of the Excel window, just below the title bar.

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A small window that displays descriptive text when you point to but don't click a command on the Ribbon or other objects in a worksheet.

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Small tabs near the bottom of a worksheet that you click to move between the worksheets in a workbook. You can assign descriptive names to sheet tabs.

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A type of graphic object in Excel 2007 that gives you the ability to quickly and easily construct graphical lists and diagrams in the worksheet.

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sparklines
Tiny graphs (miniature charts) that fit within a single cell in the worksheet, used to show basic trends in data.

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A horizontal bar that appears at the bottom of the Excel 2007 window and keeps you informed of Excel's current mode. In addition, you can use the Status bar to select a new worksheet view and to zoom in and out on the worksheet.

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tabs
The various "pages" of Excel 2007's Ribbon interface that you click to display command buttons relating to the tab's name, such as Page Layout and Formulas.

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template
A pre-designed worksheet that can be used as a basis for creating new worksheets.

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Stylized text objects that you use to add pizzazz and emphasis to headings and other text in Excel 2007 worksheets.

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workbook
The basic file type that you create when you use Excel 2007. A new workbook consists of three worksheets by default.

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worksheet
The main document that you work in when you enter data into cells within Excel 2007. A worksheet is stored in a workbook file.

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The portion of an Excel 2007 worksheet in which you enter cell data and add objects such as charts and graphics.

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A file format developed by Microsoft that enables people to open and print documents in XPS Reader without access to the original programs with which the documents were created (such as Excel).

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An object on the Status bar in Excel 2007 that enables you to increase the magnification in a worksheet or shrink it down to get an overall picture of the worksheet data.