Chapter 16: Miscellaneous Calculations
In This Chapter
Converting between measurement units
Solving right triangles
Calculating area, surface, circumference, and volume
Demonstrating various ways to round numbers
This chapter contains reference information that may be useful to you at some point. Consider it a cheat sheet to help you remember the stuff you may have learned but have long since forgotten.
Unit Conversions
You know the distance from New York to London in miles, but your European office needs the number in kilometers. What's the conversion factor?
Excel's CONVERT function can convert between a variety of measurements in the following categories:
⢠Area
⢠Distance
⢠Energy
⢠Force
⢠Information
⢠Magnetism
⢠Power
⢠Pressure
⢠Speed
⢠Temperature
⢠Time
⢠Volume (or liquid measure)
⢠Weight and mass
Note
Prior to Excel 2007, the CONVERT function required the Analysis ToolPak add-in. Beginning with Excel 2007, this useful function is built in.
The CONVERT function requires three arguments: the value that you want to convert, the from-unit, and the to-unit. For example, if cell A1 contains a distance expressed in miles, use this formula to convert miles to kilometers:
=CONVERT(A1,âmiâ,âkmâ)
The second and third arguments are unit abbreviations, which are listed in the Excel Help system. Some of the abbreviations are commonly used, but others aren't. And, of course, you must use the exact abbreviation. Furthermore, the unit abbreviations ...
