How to calculate the average in Notion? | Use of add operator in Notion

How to calculate the average in Notion

Today we are going to learn how we are going to calculate the average of numbers with the use of 1 database.

Finding the average of numbers is a really simple task while using Notion. This can be accomplished with the use of add operator in Notion.

Let’s begin…

In order to find the average of numbers in 1 database, we will follow a 3-step approach as follows:

  1. We need to create a database that will hold the data to find the average of 2 numbers.
  2. Setting up the database correctly.
  3. Put the desired formula that will help us find the average of 2 numbers.

How to create a database in Notion? (Step:1)

Before creating a database, let’s first understand what is a database.

What is a database?

What is a Database in Notion, database in notion
Database in Notion

In Notion, a database is a collection of data that can be structured and organized in a variety of ways. It’s a powerful feature that allows users to create custom databases to store, manage, and track information in a structured and organized way.

A Notion database is made up of a collection of properties that define the different types of data that can be stored within it.

These properties can include text, numbers, dates, formulas, attachments, checkboxes, and more.

Databases in Notion can be customized to suit a variety of needs, including:

  • project management,
  • task tracking,
  • inventory management,
  • customer relationship management, and more.

They can be organized into tables and viewed in a variety of formats, including:

  • lists,
  • galleries,
  • calendars, and
  • Kanban boards.

Overall, databases in Notion provide a flexible and powerful way to organize and manage information, making it a popular tool for individuals and teams across a wide range of industries and use cases.

Access the limitless power of AI, right inside Notion.

How to create a database in Notion?

How to add database in Notion, how to add database in Notion
How to add a database in Notion

In order to add a database in Notion, simply type “/database” and you will get a list of options for adding a database in Notion.

Select “Database – Inline” and you can add a database to your Notion page quickly 😉.

Next, we will set up the database correctly to find the average of 2 numbers.

Setting up the database correctly (Step:2)

In any database that you ever create, there will always be a default property which is the first column of the database. This property will always have the “Type” as “Title” which can’t be changed.

In this example, we are calculating the average of 4 papers for 3 tests.

Here’s what we will require in our database to find the average of the papers:

  1. Test Description (Title property)
  2. Paper 1 Scores (Number property)
  3. Paper 2 Scores (Number property)
  4. Paper 3 Scores (Number property)
  5. Paper 4 Scores (Number property)
  6. Average of papers (Formula property)

How to add the properties in a database in Notion?

How to add properties in a database

In order to add properties in a database in Notion, click on the “+” symbol at the top right end of a database.

Once selected, you will get a list of options to choose from to select the property type. Select the “Number” property and name it “Paper 1”. Repeat the above step for all the Papers and rename them accordingly.

Now the next step is to find the average of the numbers in the database with the use of a formula.

Here, we are going to use 2 different formulas to calculate the average of numbers in Notion. Add 2 more properties and set the property type as “Formula” as shown below.

Finding the average of numbers in Notion (Step:3)

Once our database is set up, we need to figure out which formula to use to calculate the average of the numbers.

Add all numbers and divide to find the average (Formula : 1)

This is a basic formula that essentially works on the following logic:

Add all the 4 paper scores and divide the total by 4 to get the average

Here’s the first formula we are going to use to find the average of numbers in Notion:

(prop("Paper 1") + prop("Paper 2") + prop("Paper 3") + prop("Paper 4")) / 4

You can copy + paste the following code (formula:1) onto your Notion workspace to find the average of numbers…😀

(prop(“Number 1”) + prop(“Number 2”) + prop(“Number 3”) + prop(“Number 4”)) / 4

Use of add function to find the average of numbers in Notion (Formula: 2)

The second formula will also work on the same logic of finding the sum of all the numbers and then finding the average of the numbers.

For finding the sum of numbers, Notion has another built-in operator to help us find the sum of numbers, i.e. add().

add function use in Notion()

Essentially, add() function helps to add numbers and gives their sum or it can also be used to join 2 different strings together.

Important: add() will take 2 parameters inside and will give the output.

Eg:

  1. add (1,3) = 4
  2. add (“I love”, “Notion”) = “I love Notion”

Adding the numbers

In order to find the average of numbers here, first we need to add the numbers together. We can use nested add() inside add() to calculate the sum of more than 2 numbers.

The syntax would be something like this…

add(add(prop("Paper 1"), prop("Paper 2")), add(prop("Paper 3"), prop("Paper 4")))

What this does is it executes the 2 parameters separately and gives the result:

  1. add(prop(“Paper 1”), prop(“Paper 2″))” (Paratmeter:1) and
  2. “add(prop(“Paper 3”), prop(“Paper 4”)” (Parameter:2).

Once we merge the above 2 parameters in the above syntax in another add(), it becomes a nested add() and we get the sum of all 4 numbers…😃

Finding the average of the numbers

Once we have obtained the sum of all the numbers, we need to divide it by 4 to get the average of the numbers in Notion.

Thus, essentially here’s what the second formula will look like for finding the average of the numbers in Notion.

 add(add(prop("Paper 1"), prop("Paper 2")), add(prop("Paper 3"), prop("Paper 4"))) / 4

You can copy + paste the following code (formula:2) onto your Notion workspace to find the average of numbers…😀

add(add(prop(“Number 1”), prop(“Number 2”)), add(prop(“Number 3”), prop(“Number 4”))) / 4

Side Note: Make sure to set the Number Format as “Number” to set the format as Numbers to add and find the average upon.

How to set Number format in a database in Notion

Access the limitless power of AI, right inside Notion.

Summary

Here’s what we learned about finding the average of numbers in Notion. We have used 2 formulas to find the average of numbers in a database.

  1. (prop(“Number 1”) + prop(“Number 2”) + prop(“Number 3”) + prop(“Number 4”)) / 4
  2. add(add(prop(“Number 1”), prop(“Number 2”)), add(prop(“Number 3”), prop(“Number 4”))) / 4

Leave a Comment