How do I turn a fraction into a decimal?

Hello All,

Thanks for taking the time to look at my problem.

If I have a fraction displayed in a cell how which formula can I use to reference this cell and turn it into a decimal? Note I still want to keep the fraction also.

For instance if a cell contains the fraction 15/2, what i need is a formula to perform is "=15/2" I know this sounds an incredibly simple task, but I cannot work out how to do this.

Any help would be appreciated

Alan

Hi Alan. Unfortunately your post does not comply with Rule 1 of our Forum RULES. Your post title should accurately and concisely describe your problem, not your anticipated solution.

Use terms appropriate to a Google search. Poor thread titles, like Please Help, Urgent, Need Help, Formula Problem, Code Problem, and Need Advice are not allowed and since you have 261 posts you really should know this.
To change a Title on your post, click EDIT then Go Advanced and change your title, if 2 days have passed ask a moderator to do it for you.

Originally Posted by ad9051

How do you even describe this in a title? Sometimes your forum rules are simply counter productive.

Presumably with 261 posts you are aware of the rule, and importantly why it's there. It's certainly counter productive when you don't have a sensible title.

In which case, unless you've been asleep, you will know how we generally respond to the many others, usually those with low post counts who infringe the rule. So why did you make no attempt whatsoever? You seem to have managed with most of your other posts.

Really how difficult is it? No really. "How do I turn a fraction into a decimal?" would seem an obvious 1st choice.

I'm not wishing to be difficult but how is this edited title any better?

Originally Posted by ad9051

It seems Monday morning syndrome had taken all simple titles out of my head......

....so maybe you should have waited until Monday afternoon.
My general practice is to edit titles for posters with but a handful of of posts, but with your 261 posts I really did think you should have known better.

Sounds like your original data is formatted as text. If there are no blank spaces before or after the characters (i.e. " 15/2" or "15/2 " rather than "15/2") then we need to get rid of them.
If that's the case, then Select your data and CNTRL H (Find and replace) Replace (enter a space with the space bar) and Find (leave blank) > Replace all

If it's just stored as text but with no spaces then do a Text to Columns (From Data Tab) and hit finish.

Let us know if it's still not working.

One way..

Formula:

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If the fraction is in A1 try this formula in B1

=("0 "&A1)+0

Originally Posted by ad9051

Solved thanks guys, including RB. I'm using RB's solution.

Cheers

Alan

Interesting how different minds work!
Personally I prefer DDL's offering which is shorter, but arguably less obvious. I'm always intrigued by 'off the wall' solutions where Excel is used in ways I'm sure the designers never anticiapted.

FWIW, my suggestion takes a fraction like 15/2 and converts it to "0 15/2" because Excel recognises a combined integer/fraction format like n x/y as a valid format....but not x/y on it's own, the +0 then converts to a decimal value.