Changing Decimals

The "Format Cells" dialogue box in Excel has a tab titled "Number."  This tab has a "Category" list including "General, Number, Currency, Accounting, Date, Time, Percentage, Fraction, Scientific, Text, Special and Custom."  To the right of this list for the items "Number, Currency, Accounting, Percentage and Scientific" is a "Decimal places" combo box.  You get to the "Decimal places" combo box from the preceding five list items by hitting the Tab key one time.  Next, up arrow to make the decimal places longer, or down arrow to make them shorter.  Hit Enter and the decimal places you just set are for the cell you are in.  If you want to increase or decrease decimal places for a group of cells, highlight them, and then use the Control 1 method to change them.

Try the following to increase your skill.

1.  Open Excel.  In Excel 2013 hit the Enter or Escape key one time to open a blank spread sheet.
2.  In cell a1 press the Control 1 key combination.
3.  Hit the letter n to be sure you are on the "Number" tab.
4.  Hit the Tab key one time.
5.  Down arrow to the "Number" item on the list.
6.  Hit the Tab key one time.
7.  Up arrow until you hear the number 4, or just type a 4.
8.  Hit the Enter key one time.
9.  Type the number "3.1234567" (without the quotes).
10.  Hit the Enter key one time.
11.  Up arrow one time and you should hear the number "3.1235"--notice that the number 4 from the origional number was rounded up to be number 5.
12.  Move to a different cell and try steps 2 through 11 above, over and over, until you are quick and accurate.

CHALLENGE:  Try the above activity with the "Currency, Accounting, Percentage and Scientific" list items to see how they work.

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