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January 2012

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SPREADSHEETS - 31.01.2012

Easy fractions in Excel

The problem. Sometimes it would be very useful to be able to enter a number as a fraction in Excel. But if you enter a numeric value that includes a forward slash, Excel will just convert it to a date or leave it formatted as text. So, if you enter 3/8, Excel displays 03-Aug. If you enter 13/64, Excel just stores your entry as text, and you’re unable to use it in calculations.

Tip. When entering the fraction, preface it with a zero followed by a space. So, if you enter 0 3/8 in the cell, Excel drops the leading zero and displays the result in the cell as a fraction while storing its decimal equivalent, 0.375, as the cell’s value. You can now use the entered value as part of any mathematical calculation.

To enter a fraction in Excel without it being automatically converted to a date or text, preface it with a zero and space.