Word Inserting Equations
In writing a research paper, report, or some other type of document which requires you to show an equation, there are several methods in Word which allows you to do this. One method is the longer "ribbon" method, and the other is a key command method. Word has pre-made equations, more equations online, and allows you to create your own equations. Practice the following activities to insert an equation into your Word document. There are headings on this page. Use h or Shift h to move to the heading you want, and then down arrow through the activity for that heading. At the bottom of this page is a link titled "BACK" to go to the "Word Processor Lessons" web page.
NOTE: When you are in an equation box you can use Control l to left align it, Control e to center it, or Control r to right align the equation on your page.
NOTE: When inserting an equation into a Word document it is good practice to leave a blank line before and after the equation. You can do this by hitting the Enter key after the paragraph above the equation, and hit the Enter key just after you leave the equation box.
1. Open Word. If you are using Word 2013, hit the Escape key or Enter key one time to move into a blank document.
2. Hit the Alt key one time.
3. Right arrow to the "Insert" menu.
4. Down arrow one time.
5. Left arrow two times and you will be on the "Equation" ribbon item.
6. Hit the Enter key one time and you will be in a list of pre-made equations. The title for the list is "Built In."
7. Down arrow to the equation you want to insert.
8. Hit the Enter key one time.
9. Right arrow through the equation box, changing the items that are highlighted to meet your equation specifics.
10. Continue right arrowing until you are out of the equation box. If you need to go back into the equation box, and are past it, left arrow until you are in the equations box, and then continue left arrowing (going backwards) through the highlighted items.
11. Press Alt F4 to close Word. Do not save the file, unless you want to keep it for future practice.
1. Open Word. If you are using Word 2013, hit the Escape key or Enter key one time to move into a blank document.
2. Hit the Alt key one time.
3. Hit the letter n to go to the "Insert" tab of the ribbon.
4. Hit the letter e to go to the "Equation" ribbon item. You are immediately placed in a list of pre-made equations, in the "Built In" list box.
5. Down arrow to the equation you want to insert.
6. Hit the Enter key one time.
7. Right arrow through the equation box, changing the items that are highlighted to meet your equation specifics.
8. Continue right arrowing until you are out of the equation box. If you need to go back into the equation box, and are past it, left arrow until you are in the equation box, and then continue left arrowing (going backwards) through the highlighted items,.
9. Press Alt F4 to close Word. Do not save the file, unless you want to keep it for future practice.
1. Open Word. If you are using Word 2013, hit the Escape key or Enter key one time to move into a blank document.
2. Use either the "ribbon" method or key command method to open the "Equation" item in the "Insert" menu.
3. Press and hold down the Alt key and hit the letter m.
4. Release the keys.
5. Down arrow to the equation you want.
6. Hit the Enter key one time.
7. Right arrow through the equation, changing any highlighted items to meet your equations specifications.
8. Right arrow until you are out of the equation box.
9. Left arrow to go back into the equation box.
10. Left arrow through the equation, changing any highlighted items, if you need to.
11. Press Alt F4 to close Word. Do not save the file unless you want to keep it for future practice.
1. Open Word. If you are using Word 2013, hit the Escape key or Enter key one time to move into a blank document.
2. Use either the "ribbon" method or the key command method to open the "Equation" item in the "Insert" ribbon.
3. Press and hold down the Alt key and hit the letter i.
4. Release the keys.
5. Type your math problem/equation.
6. Hit the Enter key one time and your math problem/equation is created, and you are placed one line under it.
7. Up arrow one time to go back into your equation box with the math problem or equation you just wrote.
8. Use your left and then right arrow keys to read through the problem you just wrote. If you hear an incorrect number or letter, hit the Delete key to erase that number or letter, and then type in a new number or letter.
9. Use your arrow keys to read back through the equation or problem to see if your changes are in the correct place(s).
10. Press Alt F4 to close Word. Do not save the file unless you want to keep it for future practice.
NOTE: Many equations are spatially arranged up and down, such as fractions. You can change an equation to read left to right by making in "linear."
1. Open Word. If you are using Word 2013, hit the Escape key or Enter key one time to move into a blank document.
2. Use either the ribbon or key command method to open the "Equation" item on the "Insert" ribbon.
3. Down arrow to the "Quadratic Formula" item.
4. Hit the Enter key one time and the "Quadratic Formula" is created, and you are in the equation box. The ribbon above changes to the "Equation Tools" "Design" ribbon.
5. Hit the Alt key one time.
6. Down arrow one time.
7. Hit the Tab key until you hear the word "linear."
8. Hit the Enter key one time and your equation now reads from left to right, and is visually changed to a left-to-right configuration.
9. Use your right and left arrow keys to read through the equation. It is important to understand that you can now change any item in the equation. Before making the equation linear you could only change the highlighted areas.
10. Press Alt F4 to close Word. Do not save the file unless you want to keep it for future practice.
1. Open Word. If you are using Word 2013, hit the Escape key or Enter key one time to move into a blank document.
2. Use either the ribbon or key command method to open the "Equation" item on the "Insert" ribbon.
3. Press and hold down the Alt key and hit the letter i to open a blank equation box where you can type.
4. Release the keys.
5. Type the number 3.
6. Hit the Spacebar one time.
7. Hit the Alt key one time to activate the "Equation Tools" "Design" ribbon.
8. Down arrow one time.
9. Hit the Tab key until you hear a phrase with the word "More."
10. Hit the Enter key one time.
11. Use your right arrow key to cycle through the first row of symbols.
12. Down arrow one time.
13. Use your right arrow key to cycle through the second row of symbols.
14. Down arrow one time.
15. Right arrow through the third row of symbols.
16. Down arrow one time.
17. Right arrow through the fourth row of symbols.
18. Use your up/down and right arrow key to select a symbol you want.
19. Hit the Enter key one time and that symbol will be placed in your equation box, just after the number 3 and the space.
20. Use your left and right arrow keys to read the number "3" and the symbol you inserted.
21. Press Alt F4 to close Word. Do not save the file unless you want to keep it for future practice.
NOTE: Symbols can include items such as Fahrenheit, Celsius, Not Equal To, and many more.
1. Open Word. If you are using Word 2013, hit the Escape key or Enter key one time to move into a blank document.
2. Use either the ribbon or key command method to open the "Equation" item on the "Insert" ribbon.
3. Press and hold down the Alt key and hit the letter i to open a blank equation box where you can type.
4. Release the keys.
5. Hit the Alt key one time to move to the "Equation Tools" "Design" menu.
6. Down arrow one time.
7. Tab until you hear the words "Structures Grouping ..." You will be on the "Fractions" item, the first of eleven items.
8. Tab through the rest of the items in the "Structures" area of the ribbon.
9. Left arrow backwards through the eleven "Structures" items.
10. Right arrow forward through the eleven "Structures" items.
11. Left arrow until you hear the "Fractions" item.
12. Hit the Enter key one time. You are in a box with three rows of possible fraction selections. You can use your right arrow key to see what is on the first row, down arrow one time and then right arrow to see what is on the second row. The third row has only one item.
13. Hit the Enter key one time on the fraction structure you want to use and you will be in your equation box, just at the end of the structure you selected.
14. Left arrow to the first item in the structure and type in a number or letter.
15. Right arrow to the next item in the structure an type in a number or letter.
16. Complete your structure and then arrow out of the equation box.
17. Arrow back into the equation box.
18. Use your left and right arrow keys to check the content you typed in the equation structure.
19. Press Alt F4 to close Word. Do not save the file unless you want to keep it for future practice.