The AVERAGE formula in Excel is used to calculate the arithmetic mean of a set of numbers. Here’s how to use it:

1. Syntax: The basic syntax of the AVERAGE formula is:

   =AVERAGE(number1, [number2], ...)
   

   • number1, number2, etc., are the numbers or cell references you want to average.

2. Example: To calculate the average of the numbers in cells A1 to A5, use:

   =AVERAGE(A1:A5)
   

3. Handling Non-Numeric Values: The AVERAGE formula automatically ignores text, blank cells, and logical values (TRUE/FALSE).

4. Weighted Average: If you need a weighted average, you must manually calculate it using the SUMPRODUCT and SUM functions.

5. Common Errors:

   • If all arguments are non-numeric, the formula returns #DIV/0!.
   • If any argument is an error value, the formula returns that error.

6. Tips:

   • Use the AVERAGEIF or AVERAGEIFS functions for conditional averaging.
   • Combine AVERAGE with other functions like IF for more complex calculations.