Boy, Does Word Ever Calculate! Let Me Count The Ways

BOY, DOES WORD EVER CALCULATE! LET ME COUNT THE WAYS

In February (page 74), I wrote how Word can do simple arithmetic—that is, add and subtract. I confessed I didn’t know how to make it do more and invited readers to share their knowledge if it could. Well, a load of e-mails later, I discovered that while Word may not be able to fill out my IRS 1040, it can do quite a bit of neat calculations.

For multiplication, use the * (2*4) For division, use the / (4/2) For exponents, use the ^ (4^2) For percentages, use % (50*12%)

You can also use parentheses, such as (1 2 3) / 2. If you put spaces between the 1, 2, 3, Word will add them (1+2+3) and then divide by 2.

After typing in the calculation’s components, highlight them and click on the Calculate button in the toolbar. The answer will appear in the lower status bar.

It doesn’t matter whether the elements of the calculation are on a single line or spread over several lines.