Comments on: I Was of the Understanding That There Would Be No Math http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/2009/03/30/1059/ the further adventures of the luckiest bastard you ever saw Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:26:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: colter http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/2009/03/30/1059/comment-page-1/#comment-39020 colter Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:08:54 +0000 http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/?p=1059#comment-39020 You know I completely didn't realize that .18X + X is the same as 1.18X. I had forgotten that X is the same as 1X, so it never occurred to me to add them together. Thanks, mathletes! You know I completely didn’t realize that .18X + X is the same as 1.18X. I had forgotten that X is the same as 1X, so it never occurred to me to add them together. Thanks, mathletes!

]]> By: Nikki http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/2009/03/30/1059/comment-page-1/#comment-39014 Nikki Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:26:30 +0000 http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/?p=1059#comment-39014 dear god my brain just exploded. dear god my brain just exploded.

]]> By: angel http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/2009/03/30/1059/comment-page-1/#comment-39013 angel Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:17:21 +0000 http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/?p=1059#comment-39013 Keath is right. I think you're thinking of it as a little more complicated than it is: basically you're just saying 1.18X = 1180. So to solve for X you divide both sides by 1.18. Keath is right. I think you’re thinking of it as a little more complicated than it is: basically you’re just saying 1.18X = 1180. So to solve for X you divide both sides by 1.18.

]]> By: Keath http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/2009/03/30/1059/comment-page-1/#comment-39009 Keath Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:12:54 +0000 http://www.pointedstick.net/colter/?p=1059#comment-39009 I'm assuming you mean besides "=1180/1.18" ? :) It sounds like you're trying to come up with an easy way to compute X with the other numbers changing. If you're given the 1180 and the .18 then set up input cells for those amounts, so you can easily change them for new criteria without having to monkey with your formula. Try this: Cell A1 would be where you put in the 1180 Cell A2 would be where you put in the .18 Cell A3 would read "=A2+1" (don't use the quotation marks but do use the = sign) - this will give you the left side of the formula Cell A4 would read "=A1/A3" (this will give you the value of X) Using your above example A1 would be 1180 A2 would be .18 A3 would equal 1.18 A4 would equal 1000 I’m assuming you mean besides “=1180/1.18″ ? :)

It sounds like you’re trying to come up with an easy way to compute X with the other numbers changing. If you’re given the 1180 and the .18 then set up input cells for those amounts, so you can easily change them for new criteria without having to monkey with your formula.

Try this:

Cell A1 would be where you put in the 1180
Cell A2 would be where you put in the .18
Cell A3 would read “=A2+1″ (don’t use the quotation marks but do use the = sign) – this will give you the left side of the formula
Cell A4 would read “=A1/A3″ (this will give you the value of X)

Using your above example
A1 would be 1180
A2 would be .18
A3 would equal 1.18
A4 would equal 1000

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