Formula changes to answer within the cell or some variation

[shan820]

I have a worksheet that has cells that work differently in one cell if I edit
the number (example 21000) in the field to be divided by 7 and multiplied by
5, it will show the formula as :
=21000/7*5 and then of course show the result in the spreadsheet

I've copied the format of that cell over the other cells, but in other cells
the same formula results in:
=3000*5

Even in another cell, the result is just the answer to the formula (so the
formula doesn't show up anymore at all ... like i've copy, pasted values...
but i haven't)
=15000

What is going on with this?

Thanks!

 

[Fred Smith]

But if you've "copied the format of that cell", you are copying only the
format, not the formula. Copying formats will not change the underlying
formula in the pasted cell.

We'll be able help you better if you tell us the specific steps you go
through. Start with what's originally in the cells (as shown in the formula
bar), and what steps you follow (eg, Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V or right click>Copy or
drag the fill handle, etc.)

Regards,
Fred.

 

[shan820]

Here's what I did:
First I typed a miles per location into 5 or 6 different columns

21000 10000 16000 62000 105000

Then I went back and edited the numbers (F2) because I need only 5/7s of the
number in the cell

=21000/7*5 =10000/7*5 and so on

When I hit enter the (assuming above columns are A, B, C, D and E), column A
shows in the formula bar exactly what I just typed above =21000/7*5; however
column B's formula bar shows =1428.57*5. Some of the cells keep the actual
formula and other cells calculate part of the formula and show the result in
the formula (1428.57 instead of 10000/7).


Thanks.

 

[Fred Smith]

Very strange. I did exactly what you said in my verion of Excel (2007), and
in each case, the formula bar retains the entire formula.

I can't even imagine what's causing this behaviour.

Sorry I can't be of more help.
Fred.

 

[shan820]

I know -- it's seriously one of weirdest Excel issues I've seen! I've shown
a few people at work and they are like.... what is going on?!? It's crazy. I
guess I should probably just scrap the worksheet and start a new one, but it
has 6 months worth of data, so I thought I'd look for a solution first.

Thanks anyway!