The Microsoft Word text editor is widely used to create and design a wide variety of documents, including engineering reports, term papers, theses, abstracts, and others where calculations are used. For many users, working with formulas in Word becomes a problem, however, if you figure it out, everything is quite simple. As you already understood, in this article we will take a closer look at the question of how to insert a formula in Word.
In some areas of activity, it is impossible to do without the use of mathematical expressions.
The process for inserting a math expression into a document is the same for all versions of the word processor. The only difference is that in recent versions the button is called Equation, and in older versions it is called Formula.
First of all, go to the "Insert" tab, in the toolbar, find a section called "Symbols". The button "Equation" ("Formula") will be located in it. By clicking on the arrow next to the button, you will see a list of some of the standard expressions, such as:
- Binomial theorem;
- Quadratic equation;
- Area of a circle;
- Decomposition of the sum;
- Fourier series;
- Pythagorean theorem;
- Trigonometric identities.
This saves time in case you need to compose one of these expressions. If you need to insert a formula that is not included in this list, then just click the "Equation" button.
After that, in the document at the place where the cursor stood, a special field for the formula will appear, in which it will say "Place for the equation", and at the top of the window you will find a new tab "Design". This tab contains many useful functions and tools that come in handy when you need to write a complex mathematical expression. Below is a list of them:
- Fraction;
- Index;
- Radical;
- Integral;
- Large operator;
- Bracket;
- Function;
- Diacritical marks;
- Limit and logarithms;
- Operator;
- Matrix.
When you click on each of these tools, a window appears in which you are asked to select the desired type. For example, there are many uses for an integral or multiple integrals. The Word contains all the types that you may need to build any mathematical expression.
On the left, in the "Symbols" section, you will find the necessary mathematical signs and symbols, among which there are letters of the Latin alphabet, often used in mathematics and physics. Such an extensive set of tools allows you to create equations of any complexity by combining them with each other. You can change the size of the created equation in the classic way - select and select a larger value for the font size.
Many users experience difficulties when they need to insert formulas in Word, as this function is rather unclear in Microsoft's text editor.
The situation is complicated by the fact that one of the most popular word processing programs in the world is completely updated every few years.
As a result, the interface is redesigned and the controls change their location.
Therefore, if you perfectly knew Word 2003, then when working with newer versions you may have questions about how to do this or that action that was previously performed by you automatically.
This statement is completely true for the insertion of formulas.
Working with formulas in Word 2003
This version of the text editor was the last, which by default created documents in the well-known DOC format (supported since 1997), and the first to undergo a commercial rebranding by MS.
As the future has shown, the redesign of Office 2007 was a very effective solution, as evidenced by the fact that many organizations and individuals still use this particular version of the office suite.
The specificity of Word 2003 is the use of a separate application Microsoft Equations 0.3 for working with formulas, the window of which opens every time you insert a new mathematical expression.
- To insert a formula, you need to find the "Insert" item in the top panel and select "Object" in the drop-down menu.
- After that, a window for selecting an insert object will appear. You must click on the item Microsoft Equations 3.0
- After that, the formula editor will automatically start and the main window of this subroutine will open in front of the user, in which you can write any possible formula structure.
- The program has a laconic interface, made in accordance with the design style of all Microsoft products of that period. In the upper part there is a control panel on which the standard functions are located.
Below are the categories of various mathematical symbols, after selecting one of which a list of available elements will open. In order to select the desired symbol, just click on it with the left mouse button.
All the notation is intuitive, many of them have a dotted rectangle icon, indicating that there should be some kind of mathematical expression in this place.
- The style function allows you to select the font and type of face for certain characters. To define your own preferences, click Style and then Define.
- The menu item "Size" allows you to adjust the size of various elements of the formulas and also has the ability to set custom settings, for which you need to follow the path "Size" - "Define".
Advice! You cannot put a space in the formula editor - the dimensions between the elements are automatically adjusted. If you need to insert an interval of a certain length, select the appropriate element from the proposed characters.
- When you have finished entering the formula, press Esc or close the window, as a result of which it will be inserted into the main element. Re-editing is carried out by double-clicking the LMB.
The size of the formula field can be changed and moved by simply dragging the mouse.
Working with formulas in Word 2007 and 2010
Word 2010 and Word 2007 are very similar to each other, as well as the formula editor.
Therefore, if you use an office suite from Microsoft, released in 2010, then to insert mathematical expressions, you can use the instructions described above.
This version of the text editor has its own formula designer, which has its own taskbar. Therefore, working with it is significantly different from Word 2003.
- To create a formula, use the "Insert" item and the "Formulas" sub-item, after activating which the user is offered the most common options, such as Newton's binomial, area of a circle, etc.
To enter your own expression, select the "Insert new formula" function.
- As a result of these actions, a constructor for working with formulas will open, which has its own toolbar, divided into three categories: Service, Symbols and Structures.
Despite the large number of possibilities, there is no numbering, but even during the first acquaintance, this is not a big problem.
- The functions of the Service category allow you to select any standard expression, and if you click on the small arrow at the bottom of the panel, the formula parameters window will open, in which you can set some specific settings before inserting a custom formula, but most of them are unlikely for an ordinary user will come in handy.
- The next category is the most important, as it gives access to all possible symbols. By default, the table displays basic mathematical symbols such as operation signs, infinity symbol, equals, and so on.
To insert, for example, a Greek letter, you need to change the group of characters, for which click LMB on the arrow below the scroll bar, and then on the triangle after the name of the group of characters and select the required selection.
- The last category of functions provides the user with various standard symbol constructions, such as fraction, limit, trigonometric functions, with which mathematical calculations are carried out.
Everything is intuitively clear here: select the appropriate subcategory, click on it, and then click on a specific expression.
- The ready-made formula does not need to be saved, since it is one of the insertion elements, along with clips, pictures or diagrams. To continue working on other elements, just move the cursor to another part of the document and continue writing text.
To change the formula, click on it once. The formula can be dragged by grabbing the panel to the left of the input field, which shows three dots.
When working in Word, it is often necessary to enter a professionally formatted formula. To do this, you need to use a special "Formula Editor".
To create a formula on the top panel, click on the "Insert" tab, then in the "Symbols" group, click on the arrow next to the "Formula" caption.
In the drop-down list, select the desired formula or the "Insert new formula" command. In the field that appears, type the formula. If you need to add a structure (fraction, radical, etc.), select its type in the constructor tab. The structure includes placeholders (small dotted boxes) that you must enter the desired characters or numbers instead. When you finish typing, you need to click outside the formula area. The entered formula appears as an object in the text.
To create a formula, select the "Insert" tab on the top panel, then in the "Symbols" group select the "Formula" line.
This will open the Formula Tools panel. We enter the formula in the designated place. The Formula Tools panel includes the following groups:
- "Symbols",
- "Service",
- "Structures".
The "Service" group allows you to create a new formula, as well as select a formula from those in the collection. Here you can also set the form of the formula: linear, two-dimensional or regular text. The Formula Options window sets the font, alignment, and position of the formula. The "Symbols" group contains mathematical symbols, operators, Greek letters. The "Structures" group includes templates such as index, fraction, radical, etc. When you finish typing, you need to click outside the formula area. The entered formula appears as an object in the text.
In Word 2003, mathematical expressions are entered using the Microsoft Equation 3.0 editor. It starts as follows: on the menu bar, open the "Insert" tab, then select the "Object" line. In the dialog box that appears, select "Microsoft Equation" and click "Ok".
The formula area appears on the screen, and the menu is replaced by the formula editor. Enter the formula symbols into the formula area. You can fill in the fields using the keyboard, or using the formula editor.
The formula editor includes two rows of buttons. The top row contains special characters: Greek letters, relationship signs, mathematical symbols, etc. The bottom row of the editor contains templates (fractions, superscripts, subscripts, etc.) and special symbols (integral, sum sign, radical). When you finish entering the formula, you need to press Esc or click outside the formula area. The entered formula appears as an object in the text.
In today's tutorial, I will show you how to insert a formula in Word. In fact, there are several ways to do this, and if possible, I will try to consider all of them.
First, this can be done using the formula editor, which is built into the Word program itself. To do this, just go to the "Insert" tab and click on the "Formula" icon.
By the way, if you click on the arrow next to the formula builder icon, you can quickly insert ready-made options. Here, at the very bottom, you can also go to the editor by clicking the "Insert new formula" link.
Once you get into the formula builder, you will have the opportunity to assemble a formula from the symbols and patterns that are offered on the top panel of the program. I hope that there should be no problems at this stage.
The second way is also built-in. Go to the "Insert" tab, but only this time click on the "Object" icon. A new window will open, in which you need to select the object type "Microsoft Equation 3.0" and click the "OK" button.
A new window will open where you can select different signs to create a complex formula.
Well, let's analyze the last method, which is suitable for owners of the Windows 7 operating system. We will use the "Math Input Panel". You can open it through the "Start" menu. To do this, enter its name in the search bar.
A window will open in front of you, in which you can draw formulas with the mouse. To do this, select the "Write" icon on the right and simply draw a formula on a yellow background.
If any of the characters was incorrectly recognized by the program, we can select the "Erase" tool, remove the wrong character and draw it again.
After the formula is ready, it is enough to put the cursor in the place of the document where we want to insert the formula, and press the "Insert" button in the program.
That's all. Now it remains to choose the most suitable method for you and solve the problem that has arisen.
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Despite the fact that Microsoft Word 2016 already exists, many people use the 2003 version the old fashioned way. And it is highly likely that while working, a person may be faced with the fact that it is necessary to write a formula in a document. Now we’ll figure out how to insert a formula in 2003 "Word", and talk about what to do if there are no necessary components.
How to insert a formula
So, here is an open Word 2003 document in which you need to insert a formula. To do this, in the upper toolbar, click "Insert", and then select "Object". You will see a window called "Insert Object". Here, on the "Create" tab, you need to select an object called Microsoft Equation 3.0. After you have selected the required line, click OK.
You will return to your document and first of all you will notice the changes, the top panel is completely removed, and instead of it there is another, with the subheading "Formula". We need it.
As you can see, the panel is divided into two lines. The upper one is required for entering mathematical symbols. The bottom one allows you to display templates with multiple input fields to create complex formulas.
Also, no one canceled keyboard input. That is, you can enter the necessary letters, thereby it is possible to write constants, variables or comments in the event that they are necessary.
After you have written the formula, you need to return to the document, for this use the ESC key. After clicking it, you will be taken to the source document, where the formula will be converted into a picture. To continue working with it, just double-click on it.
If there is no Microsoft Equation 3.0
If after you entered the "Insert Object" window and did not find 3.0 in the list, do not despair - this problem can be solved simply. Only during the installation of the Microsoft Office package, this component was not installed. To solve the problem, find the installation disc and insert it into the drive. In the meantime, closing all third-party programs sometimes helps.
So, the disk is inserted, which means now we need to go to the "Control Panel". In the event that you have the Windows XP operating system installed, then you need to click "Start", enter "Settings", and then select the "Control Panel" item. After opening the window, you need to go to "Add or Remove Programs".
On other versions of Windows, there is almost a similar way to get into this utility. In any case, you can use the search in the system.
Before you there is a list of all installed programs on the computer, but you need to find only one - Microsoft Office (if there is none, then look for Microsoft Word). Then click on it with the left mouse button, the "Change" button will appear, feel free to click on it.
Now you are faced with three choices, you can remove or add individual components of MS Office, reinstall them, or completely uninstall the entire program. Choose the first option and click "Next".
In the next step, initially put a check mark next to Word, and then next to the inscription "Advanced customization of applications", and click "Next"
Now you see all the components installed with MS Word, we are only interested in one, so find "Office Tools" and click the plus next to it.
After that, sub-items will appear. The next step is to find the "Formula Editor" item and right-click on it; in the context menu, click on the "Run from my computer" line.
Once you have done this, immediately click on "Refresh". Then close and open Microsoft Word. Now the item you need has appeared in the "Insert object" window, the introduction of the formula in the "Word" 2003 has become available.
After entering the formulas, they disappear
So, we already know how to insert a formula in Word 2003, and also learned how to add the necessary component for this - Microsoft Equation 3.0, but, unfortunately, there are other problems with the use of formulas. For example, now let's analyze the situation when you have entered the required formula and confirmed it, it simply disappears. The problem is fairly common on Windows operating systems above XP, but fortunately, it is easily solved.
First of all, it is worth discussing what is causing the problem. The point is that once you have installed the program, it is not configured. To be more precise, the fonts are not configured, Word simply does not recognize them, because of this, an error occurs, accompanied by the disappearance of formulas.
In order to eliminate this malfunction, you need to put the font that MS Word supports on the formulas. To do this, click on the top toolbar "Style" and select "Define" from the menu.
You will see a window of styles and next to the line "Function" in the drop-down list select the font Times New Roman. After that, the formulas will be entered without problems. Of course, you can use other styles that Word supports, but this one is great for business documents.
Field codes instead of formulas
As you can see, knowing how to insert a formula in Word 2003, you can still face many problems, so we continue to discuss them.
Perhaps someone faced such a problem that after entering and confirming the formula, it is converted into a field code, for example, in (EMBEDEguation.3).
The fix for this problem is very simple. Enter "Options ..." by clicking initially on "Service" in the top panel.
Selecting the "View" tab, uncheck the box next to the line "Field codes". That's it, now after entering the formulas, they will be displayed correctly.
How do I resize formulas and change character spacing?
You now know how to insert a formula in Word, but most likely you may face a problem when you need to increase the font size of formulas or change the spacing between characters. This is not a problem, but a necessity, so this issue is also worth touching on.
So, to determine the new font size, start initially entering the formula, then select it and, without leaving the formula editor, in the top panel, click on "Size", and then "Define ...". A window will appear in front of you in which you can change the size of all elements.
Well, if you want to change the interval, then on the same panel select "Format" and in the menu click on "Interval ...".
That is, in principle, all I wanted to say about how to insert a formula in Word in 2003. We also figured out what to do if the formulas are not displayed.
