Why integration multiplies value in Google Sheets - Formula Trace Breakdown

Sample Data

This data shows time in hours and speed in kilometers per hour for a car trip.

Cell	Value
A1	Time (hours)
B1	Speed (km/h)
A2	1
B2	60
A3	2
B3	70
A4	3
B4	80

Formula Trace

=SUMPRODUCT(B2:B3, A3:A4 - A2:A3)

Step 1: A3:A4 - A2:A3

Step 2: B2:B3

Step 3: B2:B3 * (A3:A4 - A2:A3)

Step 4: SUMPRODUCT(B2:B3, A3:A4 - A2:A3)

Cell Reference Map

    A       B
1 Time   Speed
2  1      60  
3  2      70  
4  3      80  

References:
- B2:B3 speeds for intervals
- A3:A4 and A2:A3 for time differences

The formula uses speeds from B2 to B3 and time differences between A3:A4 and A2:A3 to calculate distance.

Result

    A       B       C
1 Time   Speed   Distance
2  1      60      
3  2      70      
4  3      80      130

Cell C4 shows total distance = 130 km

The final result 130 km is the total distance traveled, calculated by multiplying speed by time intervals and adding them up.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does the expression (A3:A4 - A2:A3) calculate?

A Total time

B Time intervals between measurements

C Speed differences

D Sum of speeds

Key Result

SUMPRODUCT multiplies corresponding elements of two arrays and sums the results to calculate total accumulated value.