MacWorks:Multiply Time Entry to Obtain Decimal Number Equivalent
  
PSS ID Number: Q103769
Article last modified on 10-22-1998
 
3.0 4.0
 
MACINTOSH
 

======================================================================
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
 
 - Microsoft Works for the Macintosh, versions 3.0 and 4.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------
 
SUMMARY
=======
 
When you perform operations on times in a Microsoft Works spreadsheet,
multiply the figures by the appropriate amount to obtain decimal values for
hours, minutes, or seconds. To obtain hours, multiply the time result by
24. For minutes, multiply the time result by 1440. For seconds, multiply
the time result by 86,400.
 
MORE INFORMATION
================
 
Works handles times as fractions of days to facilitate date/time
calculation. Numbers entered directly as times (for example, "9:30
AM") are calculated as decimal fractions of 1. Problems may arise when
these figures are used in calculations. For example:
 
1. Enter "9:30 AM" (without quotation marks) in cell A1.
 
2. Enter "10:35 AM" (without quotation marks) in cell A2.
 
3. Enter "=A2-A1" (without quotation marks) in cell A3. The number
   displayed will be 0.04513889.
 
4. Format the cell as "h:mm". The result will then be displayed as 1:05.
   However, multiplying this by an hourly pay rate will give unexpected
   results because Works is storing the value as a fraction of a day.
 
5. Change the formula in cell A3 to "=(A2-A1)*24" (without quotation
   marks) and format the cell as General. The number will
   be displayed as 1.083333. This reflects the accurate figure in
   decimal hours.
 
6. Enter the formula "=(A2-A1)*1440" (without quotation marks) in cell
   A4. The result, formatted as General, will be 65 (minutes).
 
7. Enter the formula "=(A2-A1)*86400" (without quotation marks) in
   cell A5. The result, formatted as General, will be 3900
   (seconds).
 
To restore the figures to an actual time value, divide them by the
appropriate increment. Note that times are handled as time since
January 1, 1904, (the first date of the Macintosh internal clock).
Mixing times and actual dates requires handling them accordingly.
 
KBCategory: kbother
KBSubcategory: macworkskb
 
Additional reference words: mac m_eXcel mwksss 3.00
======================================================================
Version           : 3.0 4.0
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbhowto
=============================================================================
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.