How To Make A Negative Number Positive In Excel

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I volition show you lot a few means to change negative numbers to positive numbers and back over again in Excel.

Don't forget to download the accompanying workbook so y'all can follow forth with the tutorial.

Method 1 - Convert Negative Values to Positive Values

Y'all tin can use the "paste special" method to alter numbers from negative to positive or positive to negative.

Add a cell with -1 in it near your negative numbers:
Copy the cell with the -one, just select the cell and striking Ctrl + C:
Select the negative numbers:
Right-click over the negative numbers and click Paste Special:
Select the option Multiply and then hitting OK:
Now, y'all have a colum of positive values:
Just delete the -1 and you are washed.

Method 2 - Convert Positive Values to Negative Values

To catechumen whatsoever series of positive numbers to negative numbers, just follow the verbal aforementioned steps as in Method 1 above; the only divergence is that you will start with positive numbers in the original listing this time. Remember to keep -1 the same since multiplying a positive number by a negative number volition create a negative result.

Method 3 - ABS() Part to Convert Negative Value to Positive Values

Yous can also use the ABS() or absolute value function to return a number without its sign. This volition create a series of positive numbers from whatever set of negative numbers or a mix of negative and positive numbers.

Whereas Method one may crusade you lot to stop upward with mixed results if you had some negative and some positive values in the starting list, this method will only allow for positive numbers to exist created, no matter what.

Enter =ABS(Prison cell Reference) into the first cell adjacent to the list of numbers:

Notation that the prison cell reference refers to the first number in the list.
Copy the part downwardly the entier list past selecting the first cell, B1, and double-clicking the bottom-right side of the cell:
Now, you can stop here if you don't mind having 2 columns of information, one containing the raw data and the other containg functions, or, you tin continue to brand information technology i list - copy the new column of numbers (the positive ones):
So select the original column of numbers and hit Alt + E + Southward + 5 and Enter (this will re-create-paste-special values over the original list):
Now, delete the 2nd column that has all of the functions and yous are done.

Notes

Apply whichever method is easiest for you. I adopt Method 3 just because I can practise it in a couple seconds using keyboard shortcuts that I am familiar with.

The benefit of the first method is that it can exist used to get from positive to negative or negative to positive.

The do good of the second method is that, if you desire a list of only positive values and the original listing contains a mix of positive and negative values, the second method will ensure that all values end up existence positive, whereas Method 1 and 2 will simply reverse the sign of each number, regardless of whether or not all of the values in the listing are positive, negative, or a mix of the two.