Excel: Numbers with an E Interpreted as Scientific Notation

ID: Q59623

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

Data entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet as an alphanumeric string containing the letter "E" may be interpreted as a number in scientific notation.

For example, 3333e33 becomes the number 3.333E+36 in scientific notation because of the e33.


WORKAROUND

To prevent this, the alphanumeric string can be forced to represent text by typing the string in one of the following manners:

Method 1

Type ="3333e33". Make the string a formula and enclose it with quotation marks.

Method 2

Type 3333e33 and press the SPACEBAR while holding down the OPTION key on the keyboard. Click the check mark in the formula bar or press RETURN. NOTE: The OPTION+SPACEBAR is a hard space that will not be stripped away as an insignificant space. (This hard space can also be inserted at the beginning of the string.)


MORE INFORMATION

Some numbers will convert to scientific notation, while others may not. The following are some guidelines:

  1. Values typed after the "e" between -309 and +306 will convert to scientific notation.


  2. Values typed after the "e" that are greater than 306 and less than -310 will be left as text.


  3. Values typed after the "e" of -309 and -310 will evaluate to 0 (zero).


Additional query words: 1.0 1.00 1.03 1.04 1.06 1.5 1.50 2.20 3.0 4.00 


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Last Reviewed: March 16, 1999