Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated November 19, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021
Bud has a cell that contains elapsed time. If the cell contains an elapsed time of 8:20:00, he would like it to show as a decimal equivalent, such as (in this case) 8.3. He wonders if this can be done through formatting.
The short answer is no, this cannot be done through formatting alone. It can, however, be handled through a formula combined with formatting. For instance, let's say the elapsed time is in cell B7. In another cell you could use the following:
=B7*24
That's it; now you just need to format the result of the formula as a numeric value, including as many decimal places as desired.
This approach works because of the way that Excel stores dates and times internally. The portion of the internal value that is to the right of the decimal point is the portion of a full day, so multiplying by 24 gives you the number of hours in decimal format.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (12101) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
Excel is great at working with times and dates. Sometimes, though, it can be a bit tricky to figure out how to work with ...
Discover MoreWork with times in a worksheet and you will eventually want to start working with elapsed times. Here's an explanation of ...
Discover MoreExcel worksheets can be used to keep track of all sorts of information. You may want to use it, for instance, to track ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments