Can't plot multiplication result in Excel 2008

[JimS]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Power PC

I've discovered a very strange problem with Excel 2008 v12.0.1. If I use a multiplication formula to multiply two specific numbers, the result will not plot in a chart. The values are 600 & 20.33. The result is 12198.

If I type 12198 in cell C1, it will plot ok. But if I use a formula like =A1*B1 in cell C1 and cell A1 contains 600 & cell B1 contains 20.33, the resulting number 12198 will not show up in a chart, regardless of whether it is a bar chart, pie chart, etc. Other numbers multiplied together to reach 12198 seem to plot ok, but for some strange reason the result of 600 x 20.33 won't plot in a chart.

Any ideas why or what I am doing wrong?

Thanks.

 

[CyberTaz]

I don't have an answer, but I did play with this a bit & the problem doesn't
seem to be plotting the *resulting value* (12198), but rather plotting
*anything* resulting from the use of 20.33 as a multiplier against an even
100 (other than - for whatever reason - 500).

If someone doesn't come up with a viable explanation I'll send it up the
line as a bug.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[JimS]

Thanks, Bob, for isolating the problem to the 20.33 multiplier. In this case, it happened to be the price of a stock I follow. I wonder if there are any other multipliers that will react in the same manner.

Regards, Jim

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

I don't have an answer, but I did play with this a bit & the problem doesn't
seem to be plotting the *resulting value* (12198), but rather plotting
*anything* resulting from the use of 20.33 as a multiplier against an even
100 (other than - for whatever reason - 500).

If someone doesn't come up with a viable explanation I'll send it up the
line as a bug.

I'm sorry Bob, but I can not repro this. All combinations I try plot fine.
Can you describe in more detail what you found?

 

[CyberTaz]

Sure -

In cells B1:B10 put the values 100 - 1000, in the adjacent cells put the
formula =B1*20.33, then plot the calculated results as a simple column
chart. The only difference is that I hadn't gone to 1000 before, Now that I
have - tested again on a different Mac running Office 12.0.1 in Tiger
10.4.11 - I find that the formulas multiplying by 500, 900 & 1000 generate
columns but the other results don't.

I also tried it by storing 20.33 in cell A1 then creating a column of
results using =$A$1*B1 & copying down 9 more rows, plotted the results as a
Bar chart & got the same outcome - bars plotted only for the results where
20.33 was multiplied by 500, 900, or 1000 - the other results don't plot.

If you like I'll send you a copy of the wkbk in the private group.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[JE McGimpsey]

In cells B1:B10 put the values 100 - 1000, in the adjacent cells put the
formula =B1*20.33, then plot the calculated results as a simple column
chart. The only difference is that I hadn't gone to 1000 before, Now that I
have - tested again on a different Mac running Office 12.0.1 in Tiger
10.4.11 - I find that the formulas multiplying by 500, 900 & 1000 generate
columns but the other results don't.

Hmmm...

Can't repro this at all, assuming "simple column chart" corresponds to
any of the built-in Column chart types. XL12.0.1, OSX 10.5.2. MBP.

Can you send me the wb via email?

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

Sure -

In cells B1:B10 put the values 100 - 1000, in the adjacent cells put the
formula =B1*20.33, then plot the calculated results as a simple column
chart. The only difference is that I hadn't gone to 1000 before, Now that I
have - tested again on a different Mac running Office 12.0.1 in Tiger
10.4.11 - I find that the formulas multiplying by 500, 900 & 1000 generate
columns but the other results don't.

I also tried it by storing 20.33 in cell A1 then creating a column of
results using =$A$1*B1 & copying down 9 more rows, plotted the results as a
Bar chart & got the same outcome - bars plotted only for the results where
20.33 was multiplied by 500, 900, or 1000 - the other results don't plot.

If you like I'll send you a copy of the wkbk in the private group.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

That's pretty much what I did. I also saw your post in the private
newsgroup, and that plotted fine for me also.