How to Get Rid of Scientific Notation in Excel

If you’re working with large numbers in Microsoft Excel, you may have encountered scientific notation. While it can be helpful for scientists and mathematicians, it can also make data difficult to read and manipulate for those unfamiliar with the format. Fortunately, removing scientific notation in Excel is a straightforward process that requires just a few steps. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how to get rid of scientific notation in Excel.

What is Scientific Notation in Excel?

Scientific notation is a way to express numbers that are very large or very small in a compact and simple form. Instead of writing out the entire number with all the digits, scientific notation uses exponents to represent a number in a more manageable form. In Excel, numbers that exceed a certain amount of digits are automatically converted into scientific notation.

Why Get Rid of Scientific Notation?

While scientific notation can be helpful for scientists and mathematicians who work with large numbers regularly, it can make data difficult to read and manipulate for those not familiar with the format. For instance, cell C2 may show a value like 2.732E+10 instead of 27,320,000,000, which can make data analysis more confusing.

How to Get Rid of Scientific Notation in Excel

Method 1: Format Cells

The simplest way to get rid of scientific notation in Excel is to format the cell or range of cells that contain the numbers. Here’s how:

1. Select the cell or cells that you want to modify.
2. Right-click and select “Format Cells” or press Ctrl+1 (Windows) or cmd+1 (Mac).
3. In the “Format Cells” dialog box, go to the “Number” tab, and select “Number” from the list of categories.
4. Set the decimal places according to your preferences. For example, if you want to show all the digits, set the decimal places to 0.
5. Click “OK” to save the changes.

Method 2: Use a Formula

You can also use a formula to get rid of scientific notation in Excel. Here’s how:

1. Start by creating a new column next to the column that contains the numbers in scientific notation.
2. In the first cell of the new column, enter the formula =VALUE(A1), where A1 is the cell that contains the number in scientific notation.
3. Copy the formula down to the rest of the cells in the column.
4. Format the new column as a number, and you’ll see the values in the standard numerical format instead of scientific notation.

When dealing with large numbers in Excel, scientific notation is often used to make data more manageable. However, if this format is not suitable for your purposes, it’s easy to get rid of it. You can either format cells or use a formula, depending on your needs. By following the steps outlined in this post, you’ll be able to convert numbers in scientific notation to standard numerical format in no time!

Bonus Tip: Custom Formats

If you need to work with figures that have a consistent number of digits like postal codes or phone numbers, it’s recommended to create a custom number format. By doing so, you can ensure all values are the same length, easy to read, and free of scientific notation.

1. Select the range of cells.
2. Right-click to open the context menu and choose Format Cells.
3. Select “Custom” under Format Cells.
4. Type the desired number format in the “Type” box. Formats should be in quotation marks like “0000” or “000-000-0000”.
5. Click “OK” to save.
6. Now your numbers display uniformly without scientific notation and maintain consistent formatting.

Formatting Limits

Unfortunately, Excel has limitations on the number of digits it can display in one cell. The application uses a 15-digit precision, meaning that any number with more than 15 digits will be displayed using scientific notation. Formatting a cell as a number will only impact the visible display of the number, it won’t change the underlying value stored in the cell. Be mindful of this when working with larger numbers.

Wrap Up

As you can see, getting rid of scientific notation Excel is simple. By formatting cells, using a formula, or creating custom number formats, you can ensure that your figures are displayed as desired and accurately represent their underlying values. As a side benefit, it makes data more accessible to people who don’t use and understand scientific notation.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about getting rid of scientific notation in Excel:

Can you turn off scientific notation in Excel?

Excel automatically converts large numbers to scientific notation, and there isn’t an option to completely turn off the feature. However, you can format cells, use a formula, or create a custom number format to display numbers without scientific notation.

How do you convert scientific notation to numbers in Excel?

You can convert scientific notation to numbers in Excel by formatting cells, using a formula, or creating a custom number format. Formatting cells is the easiest way to convert large numbers in scientific notation. However, if you need to work with a consistent number of digits, it’s best to create a custom number format.

Why is Excel using scientific notation for my numbers?

If your number exceeds a certain amount of digits, Excel will convert it to scientific notation to save space and make it easier to read. This is particularly common when working with large numbers or displaying rates of change results.

Does changing cell format remove scientific notation?

Yes, changing cell format can remove scientific notation. You can change the cell format to a number, or any desired custom format to convert the display to a conventional numerical format.

Can you convert a range of cells from scientific notation to number format?

Yes, you can convert a range of cells from scientific notation to a number format using a similar method as changing the cell format for a single cell. First, select the range of cells you want to modify, format the cells, and choose the number format option that’s most suitable for your data.