How to Remove Decimals in Excel (The TRUNC (Truncate) Function)

In this tutorial, we will walk through the process of using the TRUNC function. The TRUNC function is a useful tool for removing decimal numbers from a number. This function can be useful for simplifying calculations without rounding up or down the numbers.

The TRUNC function

The TRUNC function in Excel is a mathematical function that allows you to truncate decimal numbers to a specified number of digits. This means that it removes the decimal places from a number without rounding it. The syntax of the TRUNC function is as follows:

=TRUNC(number, [num_digits])

  • “number” is the number that you want to truncate. It can be a cell reference, a number, or an expression that evaluates to a number.
  • “[num_digits]” is an optional argument that specifies the number of digits that you want to keep after the decimal point. If this argument is not provided, the function will truncate the number to an integer (i.e., remove all decimal places).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Removing all of the decimal numbers

  1. In a cell, type the function =TRUNC(.
  2. Inside the parentheses, enter the cell reference or number that you want to truncate.
  3. Press Enter to apply the function and remove all decimal numbers..

Removing decimals numbers until the nth place after the decimal number

  1. In a cell, type the function =TRUNC(.
  2. Inside the parentheses, enter the cell reference or number that you want to truncate.
  3. To truncate the number to a specific number of digits after the decimal point, enter a comma and the number of digits you want to keep.
  4. Press enter to apply the function and remove the decimal places from the number.

Other Uses

The TRUNC function can also be used to remove timestamps from dates in Excel. When used on a date value, the function removes the time and returns only the date portion of the number. For example, if you have the date and time value “1/28/2023 12:34:56 PM” in cell A1, using the formula =TRUNC(A1) would give you the result “1/28/2023 12:00:00 AM,” which represents the date without the time.

Conclusion

The TRUNC function in Excel is a versatile and useful tool for removing decimal places or timestamps from numbers and dates, respectively. Whether you are working with financial, scientific, or any other type of data, the TRUNC function can help you clean up and organize your data by truncating decimal places or removing timestamps.