XL: Number of Significant Digits MS Excel Retains

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0, 4.0a, 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for OS/2 versions 2.2, 2.21, 3.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

Microsoft Excel retains 15 significant digits. To display all 15 digits, you must use a number format (custom or built-in) other than General. The General number format displays up to 11 numeric characters, with the decimal point counting as a numeric character. Thus, if the number contains a decimal point, Excel can display up to 10 significant digits, but if the number does not contain a decimal point, Excel can display up to 11 significant digits Adding more numbers to the left of the decimal point causes the number to appear in exponential notation.

Additional query words: 5.00c 2.0 2.00 2.01 2.1 2.10 2.2 2.20 2.21 3.0 4.0 97 XL97 98 XL98 precision limit limitation truncate

Keywords          : 
Version           : WINDOWS:2.0,3.0,4.0,4.0a,5.0,5.0c,7.0,97; MACINTOSH:5.0,5.0a,98
Platform          : MACINTOSH OS/2 WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo 

Last Reviewed: March 21, 1999