Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative number in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!

Try:

=SUM(C8,F8)

or just:

=C8+F8

The SUM is actually redundant here. You're just trying to *add* two
negative numbers, not taking one away from the other.

Regards

Trevor


"Les" <Les @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message
...
Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative number
in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is
shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone
point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!

Trevor,

Thanks for the quick response. I tried both your suggestions but
unfortunately the results are not

The first example =SUM(C8,F8) returns the value of 0.00

The second example =C8+F8 returns the #VALUE syntax.

Just to clarify, the values I'm working with are -4424.80 (for C8) and
-4,419.28. So the correct answer should be -5.52. (-4424.80 - -4,419.28).
Somehow I can't get Excel to recognize the negative values even though I
formatted the cells as "Numbers" and selected the negative number format.

I appreciate the help.

Les

"Trevor Shuttleworth" wrote:

Try:

=SUM(C8,F8)

or just:

=C8+F8

The SUM is actually redundant here. You're just trying to *add* two
negative numbers, not taking one away from the other.

Regards

Trevor


"Les" <Les @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message
...
Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative number
in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is
shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone
point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!

Peo,

Sorry, I should have included the values in my original post. This is the
formula and result I want to get:
C8 F8
-4,424.80 - -4419.28 = -5.52 but the result always comes out as
positive.

In trying your first example =C8+F8 returns the #VALUE syntax.

The second example =SUM(C8,F8) returns 0 as the value.

Les


"Peo Sjoblom" wrote:

No need for SUM

what is the result you expected to get? If you want to SUM the number then
you should not subtract



=C8+F8

or

=SUM(C8,F8)

returns -8703.854


--


Regards,


Peo Sjoblom




"Les" <Les @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message
...
Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative number
in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is
shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone
point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!

David,

I formatted the two cells as "Number" and selected the Negative number
format (-1,234.210). When I entered the numbers I first type a hyphen then
the number so it looks like this in the cell and on the formula bar: -4424.80

When I keyed in your example =C8-F8 it returns the #VALUE syntax.

Les


"David Biddulph" wrote:

Do you get the right magnitude but the wrong sign? [In other words do you
get 145.89?]
One possibility is that you haven't got negative numbers.. If you have
4424.872 but format it as "-"General, then it will look as if you've got a
negative number, though what is stored is positive. What do you see in the
formula bar?

Are you certain that you haven't got a - after the = in your formula? [It's
easy to hit the adjacent key.]

Notice also that you don't need SUM in your formula. =C8-F8 is all you
need.
--
David Biddulph

"Les" <Les @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message
...
Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative number
in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is
shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone
point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!

Les

if the answer you are looking for is -5.52 then the formula should be:

=C8-C9

The fact that you are seeing 0 in the SUM option implies that the numbers
are not actually numbers but text that looks like numbers. Are they left
aligned or right aligned in the cells ? If they're left aligned, the
chances are they're text masquerading as numbers.

=C8-C9 should force a numeric evaluation anyway. If it doesn't, format the
cells as General or number and re-enter the values ... that should prove the
point.

Regards

Trevor


"Les" wrote in message
...
Trevor,

Thanks for the quick response. I tried both your suggestions but
unfortunately the results are not

The first example =SUM(C8,F8) returns the value of 0.00

The second example =C8+F8 returns the #VALUE syntax.

Just to clarify, the values I'm working with are -4424.80 (for C8) and
-4,419.28. So the correct answer should be -5.52.
(-4424.80 - -4,419.28).
Somehow I can't get Excel to recognize the negative values even though I
formatted the cells as "Numbers" and selected the negative number format.

I appreciate the help.

Les

"Trevor Shuttleworth" wrote:

Try:

=SUM(C8,F8)

or just:

=C8+F8

The SUM is actually redundant here. You're just trying to *add* two
negative numbers, not taking one away from the other.

Regards

Trevor


"Les" <Les @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message
...
Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula
that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative
number
in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is
shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone
point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!

Are you sure that you've got a hyphen, rather than an underscore?

You were talking of getting a positive number as a result. What positive
number do you get from which input values? In your recent messages you've
talked only of zero or of the #VALUE error, all of which are consistent with
you having a non-number text string in your cells.
--
David Biddulph

"Les" wrote in message
...
David,

I formatted the two cells as "Number" and selected the Negative number
format (-1,234.210). When I entered the numbers I first type a hyphen
then
the number so it looks like this in the cell and on the formula
ar: -4424.80

When I keyed in your example =C8-F8 it returns the #VALUE syntax.

Les

"David Biddulph" wrote:

Do you get the right magnitude but the wrong sign? [In other words do
you
get 145.89?]
One possibility is that you haven't got negative numbers.. If you have
4424.872 but format it as "-"General, then it will look as if you've got
a
negative number, though what is stored is positive. What do you see in
the
formula bar?

Are you certain that you haven't got a - after the = in your formula?
[It's
easy to hit the adjacent key.]

Notice also that you don't need SUM in your formula. =C8-F8 is all you
need.
--
David Biddulph

"Les" <Les @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message
...
Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula
that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative
number
in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is
shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone
point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!

Trevor,

Thanks for the help!

Les

"Trevor Shuttleworth" wrote:

Les

if the answer you are looking for is -5.52 then the formula should be:

=C8-C9

The fact that you are seeing 0 in the SUM option implies that the numbers
are not actually numbers but text that looks like numbers. Are they left
aligned or right aligned in the cells ? If they're left aligned, the
chances are they're text masquerading as numbers.

=C8-C9 should force a numeric evaluation anyway. If it doesn't, format the
cells as General or number and re-enter the values ... that should prove the
point.

Regards

Trevor


"Les" wrote in message
...
Trevor,

Thanks for the quick response. I tried both your suggestions but
unfortunately the results are not

The first example =SUM(C8,F8) returns the value of 0.00

The second example =C8+F8 returns the #VALUE syntax.

Just to clarify, the values I'm working with are -4424.80 (for C8) and
-4,419.28. So the correct answer should be -5.52.
(-4424.80 - -4,419.28).
Somehow I can't get Excel to recognize the negative values even though I
formatted the cells as "Numbers" and selected the negative number format.

I appreciate the help.

Les

"Trevor Shuttleworth" wrote:

Try:

=SUM(C8,F8)

or just:

=C8+F8

The SUM is actually redundant here. You're just trying to *add* two
negative numbers, not taking one away from the other.

Regards

Trevor


"Les" <Les @discussions.microsoft.com wrote in message
...
Hi~
I'm using Excel 2007 and ran into a problem when creating a formula
that
references two cells (C8 and F8) where users will enter a negative
number
in
each cell. So for example, the user would enter the following numbers:

Cell C8 ------ -4424.872
Cell F8 ------- -4278.982

To subtract both numbers I created the formula: SUM(C8-F8). But the
problem is that instead of returning a negative number, the result is
shown
as a positive number. I'm not sure why this happening. Could someone
point
me in the right direction?

Thanks for the time and expertise!