..problems with drawing scater plot after coping

[Margots]

hi,
I am doing homework for Econ class and we have to use banch of data
from UN web site. So i download the exel tables from their website adn
then copied the neccesary coloms from one excel to another and now i
am tring to draw a scatter plot, but it will not let or another words
draw something wierd. when i type the same values next to the columns
and try to draw a scatter plot, it works. I also notice that i can not
change the format on those copied rows of data. Can any one can give a
hint?
Thanks
Margots

 

[Earl Kiosterud]

Margots,

It's possible that you have text, not numbers, from the web table. Try
selecting the cells, Edit - Clear - Formats (you can undo this in a moment
to restore your formatting). If the numbers become left-aligned, then
they're text. If right-aligned, they're numbers.

 

[AlfD]

Hi!

It sounds like you have downloaded data which is in text form.

When you say you "can not change the format on those copied rows o
data" how are you trying to format it? Are you trying to use
different number format? (e.g. give it more or fewer decimal places?)
If it is text, that would likely fail.

Try the following: BUT be sure to BACKUP before you do.

Suppose your data is in column C starting at C2 and running to C100 an
column D is empty.

Enter =1*C2 in cell D2 and copy this formula down to D100.
The numbers should still look the same. Now try reformatting one of th
numbers in column D. Does it work?

If it does, copy D2100, then Paste Special>Values in the same place.

Use these numbers instead of your original column by deleting Colum
C.

If it doesn't, come back and give us a bit more of your data structur
(columns, types) and exacty what happens when you try things.

Best of luck!

Al

 

[Jon Peltier]

And if they turn out to be text, you can convert them. Copy a blank
cell, select the misbehaving numbers, choose Paste Special from the Edit
menu, and select Values, Operation - Add.

- Jon
-------
Jon Peltier, Microsoft Excel MVP
Peltier Technical Services
Tutorials and Custom Solutions
http://PeltierTech.com/
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