If you mean how to get a column or row to keep exactly what you type, not to convert it to something else (such as a reduced fraction or decimal), here's one way:
1. Highlight the column by clicking on the letter across the top.
2. Click on Format and then Cells.
3. Click on Text and then OK.
From then on, everything you type in that column will stay exactly as you typed it in the first place.
To do the same thing with rows, step 1 includes highlighting the row by clicking at the left on the number of the row you want.
Dear Sir,
thanks very much for your the very detail instruction which I am still working on it.
I need some help in using Microsoft Excel to format rational number in the form a/b( not in reduced form :eg. 3/6 but Excel will return value either in reduced form 1/2 or .5).
What I intend to generate from the three columns of excel ( first column 'a' denotes the variable stands for numerator of fraction a/b and second column denoting denominator b)to get all the equivalent fraction of 1/2 ( eg.2/4,3/6,4/8.......) putting in the third column.
Thanks
Larry King
6 answers
A short cut to get a number to appear as text is to include a ' in front of the number as you type so
'1/2 appears as 1/2
1/2 often appears as 39845 as Excel interprets it is a date
'1/2 appears as 1/2
1/2 often appears as 39845 as Excel interprets it is a date
DEar Writeacher/ Dr Russ,
Thanks very much for the answer but I have made a typo error in my question; it should be "Not in reduced form of the fraction that I wish to get but excel also always gives a/b in reduced form or in decimal form which is not what I wanted.
I am aware of the method given by Dr. Russ. Thanks. but what I wanted to make is a bit different; I intend to generatea/b by dragging down the first two rows from the three columns of excel ( first column 'a' denotes the variable stands for numerator of fraction a/b and second column denoting denominator b)to get all the equivalent fraction of 1/2 ( eg.2/4,3/6,4/8.......) putting in the third column.
Thanks
Larry King
eg.
a b a/b
1 2
2 4
3 6
4 8
5 10
6 12
7 14
8 16
9 18
10 20
11 22
12 24
Cannot get a/b using either of the two methods suggested.
Please help!
Thanks
Larry King
Thanks very much for the answer but I have made a typo error in my question; it should be "Not in reduced form of the fraction that I wish to get but excel also always gives a/b in reduced form or in decimal form which is not what I wanted.
I am aware of the method given by Dr. Russ. Thanks. but what I wanted to make is a bit different; I intend to generatea/b by dragging down the first two rows from the three columns of excel ( first column 'a' denotes the variable stands for numerator of fraction a/b and second column denoting denominator b)to get all the equivalent fraction of 1/2 ( eg.2/4,3/6,4/8.......) putting in the third column.
Thanks
Larry King
eg.
a b a/b
1 2
2 4
3 6
4 8
5 10
6 12
7 14
8 16
9 18
10 20
11 22
12 24
Cannot get a/b using either of the two methods suggested.
Please help!
Thanks
Larry King
DEar Writeacher/ Dr Russ,
Thanks very much for the answer but I have made a typo error in my question; it should be "Not in reduced form of the fraction that I wish to get but excel also always gives a/b in reduced form or in decimal form which is not what I wanted.
I am aware of the method given by Dr. Russ. Thanks. but what I wanted to make is a bit different; I intend to generate a/b by dragging down the first two rows from the three columns of excel ( first column 'a' denotes the variable stands for numerator of fraction a/b and second column denoting denominator b)to get all the equivalent fraction of 1/2 ( eg.2/4,3/6,4/8.......) putting in the third column.
Thanks
Larry King
eg.
a b a/b
1 2 1/2
2 4 2/4
3 6 3/6
4 8 4/8
5 10 5/10
6
7
8
9
10
Thanks very much for the answer but I have made a typo error in my question; it should be "Not in reduced form of the fraction that I wish to get but excel also always gives a/b in reduced form or in decimal form which is not what I wanted.
I am aware of the method given by Dr. Russ. Thanks. but what I wanted to make is a bit different; I intend to generate a/b by dragging down the first two rows from the three columns of excel ( first column 'a' denotes the variable stands for numerator of fraction a/b and second column denoting denominator b)to get all the equivalent fraction of 1/2 ( eg.2/4,3/6,4/8.......) putting in the third column.
Thanks
Larry King
eg.
a b a/b
1 2 1/2
2 4 2/4
3 6 3/6
4 8 4/8
5 10 5/10
6
7
8
9
10
Dear Writeacher,
thanks for the reply:
Below is what I wish to get : following your suggestion I can get first two columns but getting the third which it should look like what is found in the 4th column is my difficulty. by mere typing in text format is not the problem. what i wish to get is to use the variable a and b and employing excel capability to get all the fraction by dragging down a/b. but i got not fraction,instead i get cells addresses. I hope you got I wanted.
thanks
Larry King
a b
1 2 =A2/C3 1/2
2 4 =A2/C4 2/4
3 6 =A2/C5 3/6
4 8 =A2/C6 4/8
5 10 =A2/C7 5/10
6 12 =A2/C8 6/12
7 14 =A2/C9 7/14
7
thanks for the reply:
Below is what I wish to get : following your suggestion I can get first two columns but getting the third which it should look like what is found in the 4th column is my difficulty. by mere typing in text format is not the problem. what i wish to get is to use the variable a and b and employing excel capability to get all the fraction by dragging down a/b. but i got not fraction,instead i get cells addresses. I hope you got I wanted.
thanks
Larry King
a b
1 2 =A2/C3 1/2
2 4 =A2/C4 2/4
3 6 =A2/C5 3/6
4 8 =A2/C6 4/8
5 10 =A2/C7 5/10
6 12 =A2/C8 6/12
7 14 =A2/C9 7/14
7
a b
1 2 =A2/C3 1/2
2 4 =A2/C4 2/4
3 6 =A2/C5 3/6
4 8 =A2/C6 4/8
5 10 =A2/C7 5/10
6 12 =A2/C8 6/12
7 14 =A2/C9 7/14
Dear Writeacher,
thanks for the reply:
Below is what I wish to get : following your suggestion I can get first two columns but getting the third which it should look like what is found in the 4th column is my difficulty. by mere typing in text format is not the problem. what i wish to get is to use the variable a and b and employing excel capability to get all the fraction by dragging down a/b. but i got not fraction,instead i get cells addresses. I hope you got I wanted.
thanks
Larry King
1 2 =A2/C3 1/2
2 4 =A2/C4 2/4
3 6 =A2/C5 3/6
4 8 =A2/C6 4/8
5 10 =A2/C7 5/10
6 12 =A2/C8 6/12
7 14 =A2/C9 7/14
Dear Writeacher,
thanks for the reply:
Below is what I wish to get : following your suggestion I can get first two columns but getting the third which it should look like what is found in the 4th column is my difficulty. by mere typing in text format is not the problem. what i wish to get is to use the variable a and b and employing excel capability to get all the fraction by dragging down a/b. but i got not fraction,instead i get cells addresses. I hope you got I wanted.
thanks
Larry King
1 answer