Excel: Set Your Number of Decimal Places
Contributed by David Kirk 
Tagged: Microsoft Excel People typically have an obnoxious amount of numbers after the decimal point. Get rid of them!
Typically excel spreadsheets have way too many digits displayed after the decimal point. This makes the spreadsheet unreadable and inappropriate. One should set their spreadsheet to only display the correct amount of significant digits.
For example, blood pressure machines typically measure to the nearest whole number. How helpful is it to know that an average blood pressure during an experiment is 112.1231/67.2112? Obviously, 112/76 is easier to digest and understand.
To select the number of digits displayed after the decimal point:
- 1. Select the Tools menu
2. Select Options
3. Select the Edit tab
4. Select the Fixed decimal Places checkbox
5. Select the appropriate number of places
6. Click OK
If you need some assistance calculating significant digits, try this page:
http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/tutorials/sig_fig/SIG_dig.htm
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Thevillageidiot01 said on September 1, 2010
112.1231/67.2112? Obviously, 112/76 is easier to digest and understand
It’s also wrong 67.2112 is very different than 76
Dodge said on January 27, 2011
That’s just a type. It’s obviously refering to 67. Don’t be a smartass.
Dodge said on January 27, 2011
Typo*. Oh the irony.
Alice Underland said on February 9, 2011
cant find the tolls menu :(
kashim said on October 19, 2011
hi,
i am facing some decimal place issue in excel sheet.
Ex.150,828,681.0499990
150,828,681.0500000
here i need do in equal but it is showing -0.0000010
but i need to show it as a 0.0000000 could any one help me here is great..
bernie cabrera said on December 1, 2011
hi,
im having problem locating the correct comma for thousand instead, im getting decimal point, how to correct it?
examle, iwant to type 10,056.00 instead come out 10.056,00
how to correct it?