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Formatting Cells

Formatting Numbers

Numbers in Excel can be formatted in a variety of ways: as whole numbers, as decimals, as percentages, and even as currency. By default, numbers use the General format-this displays numbers exactly as you enter them (although Excel rounds the numbers using decimals or scientific notation if the cells are too narrow to accommodate what you've entered).

To apply a different number format to the contents of a cell:

1. Select the cell.

2. From the Format menu, select Cells.

The Format Cells dialog opens.

3.      Select the Number tab.

4. All the available number formats are listed under Category. Select a category, such as Currency.

5. Formatting options for that category appear on the right side of the dialog. Select the options you want, such as the number of decimal places to use.
6. Click OK.
7. The formatting is applied to the selected cell (or range of cells).

Note:

It isn't necessary to apply formatting to basic date and time entries. When you separate numbers with a slash (/) or a hyphen (-), Excel interprets the number as a date. You can also enter a time, such as 12:00, followed by an a or a p to indicate morning or evening (for example, 12:00 p). If you don't specify morning or evening, Excel assumes the default a (morning).