How to rank really small numbers in excel?

[vbanoob2011]

I'm using the formula =RANK(Number, Ref, Order) but excel does not seem to be able to distinguish between really small numbers. For example, 5.0x10^10 & 8.1x10^10 (5.0E10 & 8.1E10) are both given the same ranking.

I have tried both General, and Number format styles, and tried making sure all the values had the same, high number of decimal places, but it makes no difference.

Please help, thanks!

 

[nightcrawler23]

why dont you just remove the exponential part and rank.

 

[vbanoob2011]

why dont you just remove the exponential part and rank.

There are also much larger values in the category of different exponents, of both positive and negative exponents.

 

[vbanoob2011]

I'm using the formula =RANK(Number, Ref, Order) but excel does not seem to be able to distinguish between really small numbers. For example, 5.0x10^10 & 8.1x10^10 (5.0E10 & 8.1E10) are both given the same ranking.

I have tried both General, and Number format styles, and tried making sure all the values had the same, high number of decimal places, but it makes no difference.

Please help, thanks!

I should clarify that the values in question are actually to the negative 15th, so 5.0x10^-15 & 8.1x10^-15. I just made up randoms for the example, but i just tested the original ones and those seem to be within excel's capability of distinguishing.

 

[Marcelo Branco]

Hi,

Maybe i'm missing something, but the RANK function worked perfectly in Excel 2007 and 2010

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 96pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=128><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 48pt" span=2 width=64><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; WIDTH: 48pt; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 width=64>Values</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; WIDTH: 48pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 width=64>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>5E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>4</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>8,1E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>1</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>6E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>3</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>7E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>2</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Formula in B2 copied down
=RANK(A2,$A$2:$A$5)

HTH

M.

 

[vbanoob2011]

Hi,

Maybe i'm missing something, but the RANK function worked perfectly in Excel 2007 and 2010

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 96pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=128><COLGROUP><COL style="WIDTH: 48pt" span=2 width=64><TBODY><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; WIDTH: 48pt; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 width=64>Values</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; WIDTH: 48pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 width=64>Rank</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>5E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>4</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>8,1E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>1</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>6E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>3</TD></TR><TR style="HEIGHT: 15pt" height=20><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; HEIGHT: 15pt; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 height=20 align=right>7E-15</TD><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: windowtext 0.5pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: windowtext; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; BORDER-TOP: windowtext; BORDER-RIGHT: windowtext 0.5pt solid" class=xl65 align=right>2</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Formula in B2 copied down
=RANK(A2,$A$2:$A$5)

HTH

M.

ok it seems to be working now that i've added the dollar signs. from reading the help info, it didn't sound like i needed them, but that seems to work. thanks!

 

[Marcelo Branco]

ok it seems to be working now that i've added the dollar signs. from reading the help info, it didn't sound like i needed them, but that seems to work. thanks!

You are welcome and tks for the feedback

M.