This example will teach you how to enter fractional numbers and how to change the fraction format in Excel.
- To enter a fraction 1 4/7 into a cell A1, select it and write “1 4/7”. To enter a fraction 4/7, write “0” before “4/7” (you must write zero, otherwise Excel will decide that you want to enter a date). When you entered the fraction correctly, Excel automatically applies the format Fractional (Fraction) to cell A1, and you can enter fractions by simply typing “5/7” (no zero). The formula bar displays the decimal value of the fraction.
- Let’s look at the format Fractional For example. Highlight a cell A1, right click on it and select Format Cells (Cell Format).Excel applied format type Up to one digit (Simple fractions).
Note: To enter a fraction like 4/11 into a cell A1, modify the type form of Up to two digits (Fractions up to two digits). To drive a fraction like this 1/148, change the format type to Up to three digits (Fractions up to three digits).
- If Excel can’t display the fraction correctly, it rounds it up. For example, if you enter “4/11” into the cell A1 with format type Up to one digit (In simple fractions), Excel will display 1/3. The formula bar always displays the correct decimal value.Change the type form of the Up to two digits (Fractions up to two digits).
Change the type form of the Up to two digits (Fractions up to two digits).
Note: If you enter “0 4/11” in a new cell, Excel will automatically apply the format type Up to two digits (Fractions up to two digits) and correctly display the fraction 4/11.
- Excel always reduces a fraction to the smallest denominator. If you enter the fraction “2/8”, Excel converts it to 1/4. However, you can use the format type As eights (Eighths) so that the denominator is equal to 8.
- It happens that you cannot find the desired denominator for a fraction. For example, you need to display 40/50, but Excel converts 40/50 в 4/5. However, there is no fractional format with fiftieths (25/50). To get around, create a custom number format: #??/fifty.
Note: Replace 50 with 60 to create a type with sixties (30/60), and so on.