Multiplying

[Burdette]

Getting Old and forgot how to multiply a set of numbers in a column by a fixed number and have the results appear in the same column? Also round the results to two decimal places.

 

[PA HS Teacher]

Enter the desired multiplier in a blank cell.

Copy that Cell.

Highlight the Column in question.

Edit, Paste Special, Values, Check Multiply.

As far as rounding, if you just want to display the numbers to N decimal places, format, cells, number.

 

[gardnertoo]

Type the number by which you want the column multiplied in some spare cell.
Select that cell and copy it (Ctrl+C).
Select the cells you want multiplied.
Right-click, Paste Special
One of the choices is "Multiply". Do that. This replaces each value with value x N

To DISPLAY fewer digits (while leaving the underlying number unedited) you can click the "Decrease Decimal" button (looks like this:

.00
->.0

To actually round the number in A1 to a certain number of digits (two digits in this example), use this formula in another cell: =ROUND(A1,2)

 

[Burdette]

Thanks...

It would help me if I just thought rather than panic.

I like to show students the effect of rounding as that can be very worthwhile in business

 

[gardnertoo]

And here's an example of the difference between rounding to 2 decimal places and merely showing 2 decimal places. The sum in the "Show 2" column appears to be wrong. It's not, it's correctly summing the numbers including the non-displayed digits:

outlawspeeder.xls
	K	L	M	N
14	Raw	Show 2	Round 2
15	22.144	22.14	22.14
16	3.234	3.23	3.23
17	5.324	5.32	5.32
18	30.702	30.70	30.69
Sheet1

 

[Burdette]

Understand...I usually use an example of 2 places and Round when I show an example of changing the price a certain %...interestingly over time there is little difference in the total but there can be real differences in individual items