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MS Excel problem

  • 20-04-2008 5:08pm
    #1
    vulcan57
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,348 ✭✭✭


    Hi all

    Just doing up a spreadsheet and for some reason a couple of numbers seem to be changing to what looks like some sort of hexidecinal number as soon as I click on another cell.

    The numbers that I am putting in are:

    710004516800003560 that is coming up as 7.10005E+17
    602433022841 this is coming up as 6.02433E+11

    I think there is a thing that numbers can only be 10 digits long or something? If that is the case why is it that earlier in the spreadsheet I have a number (50802640857) that stays as it is even though it is 11 digits.

    Hope someone might know the cure.


Comments

  • #2
    nobodythere
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭nobodythere


    If you type "scientific notation" into the excel help you should find your answer. The E+17 is just shorthand for "move the decimal place 17 places to the right"


  • #3
    vulcan57
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,348 ✭✭✭vulcan57


    grasshopa wrote: »
    If you type "scientific notation" into the excel help you should find your answer. The E+17 is just shorthand for "move the decimal place 17 places to the right"

    Thanks Grasshopa. Following your advice I have solved the problem, I just had to leave a gap in the biggest number which wont matter that much as it is only a serial number.


  • #4
    trout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,957 ✭✭✭trout


    Sounds like you have a problem with the format of the cell.

    The default cell format is "General". If you enter the sequence "710004516800003560 " into a cell of this type, you will get the scientific notation "7.10E+17"

    If you just want to display the number in it's entirety, select the cell(s) and right-click.

    You will see an option "Format Cells" on the right-click menu. Select this.
    Then choose "Number" from the drop-down list. You may want to alter the number of digits after the decimal point.

    If you want to apply this format to an entire column ... right click on the column header. You can also use the format painter toolbar.

    Problem solved :D


  • #5
    phog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,968 ✭✭✭✭phog


    Is this not a case of just widening the column? I think if you widen the column the full number will appear as typed.


  • #6
    trout
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,957 ✭✭✭trout


    phog wrote: »
    Is this not a case of just widening the column? I think if you widen the column the full number will appear as typed.

    Nope. Just tried it now to convince myself.

    You may be thinking of the "###" sequence you see when the column/cell is too narrow for the text .. and you don't have Wrap Text set.

    The scientific notation is driven by the General format of the cells in question.


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