How to remove scientific notation in excel

Answer

A cell in Excel may display numbers in scientific notation when the number is very large or very small. Scientific notation looks like 1.23E+10 instead of showing the full number. Removing it ensures the full number is displayed clearly.

Method 1: Change Cell Format to Number

1. Select the cells that show scientific notation.

2. Right-click and choose Format Cells.

3. In the Number tab, select Number.

4. Set Decimal places to the desired precision.

5. Click OK.

This method converts the number from scientific notation to a regular number display.

Method 2: Increase Column Width

Excel sometimes displays scientific notation if the column is too narrow.

1. Hover over the right edge of the column header.

2. Drag to increase the column width.

The full number appears when there is enough space.

Method 3: Use an Apostrophe for Text Entry

Typing a number with an apostrophe (') before it stores the number as text, preventing Excel from converting it to scientific notation.

• Example: Enter '123456789012345 in a cell.

This method is useful for numbers like credit card numbers or long IDs.

Method 4: Use a Formula to Convert Numbers

Using the TEXT function converts a number to text in a specified format.

1. In a blank cell, type:

   =TEXT(A1, "0")

2. Replace A1 with the reference to your cell.

3. Press Enter.

This displays the full number without scientific notation.

Method 5: Use Power Query for Large Data Sets

For large datasets imported into Excel:

1. Select your table and go to Data → Get & Transform → From Table/Range.

2. In Power Query, select the column and change the type to Text or Decimal Number.

3. Load the table back to Excel.

This ensures large numbers are displayed correctly without scientific notation.

Notes for Windows vs Mac

• Windows: Right-click → Format Cells.

• Mac: Control-click → Format Cells or use the Format → Cells menu.

Using these methods ensures numbers are displayed fully and avoids confusion in calculations or reports.

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