What is wrong with my Excel?

Copper Contributor

I have a very weird issue with Excel lately and I'm wasting lot's of time.

 

Yesterday, I had to make a spreadsheet to calculate some oscillations. I made some columns with values and some columns with formulas using those values. 

When I calculate the SIN of a number, let's say 57, it gives me the right output. The formula:

=SIN(57)   cell shows: 0,436...

 

However, when I take the SIN of the exact same number (57) calculated by a formula using some other parameters (referring to another cell), it gives me a ridiculous small number close to zero. something like 1*10^-15. 

 

I tried everything. used converting functions like RADIANS, DEGREES, checked my decimal speperators, checked the value types, and asked at least 3 different people with tons of Excel experience. nobody seems to know. 

 

After litteraly searched for hours and wasting time, I asked someone's else spreadsheet. Everything working fine until today, another weird problem regarding calculating things. 

In one column, I entered the formula: 

=B5*SIN(RADIALEN(E5*D5)) which gives me the right input for the first cell. Whenever I apply this one cell to the others down below, the value stays unaltered. It shows the same value for the whole column. 

But when I manually replace the D5, D6, D7... by typing the right number manually instead of referring to column D, I got the right answer. 

 

What's wrong with my excel? I already reinstalled it several times but problems seem to be inconsistent and it really makes me look like I don't know how to work with Excel anymore, altough I used it for years. 

 

I hope it was a little bit clear as it is difficult to explain by words.  Any suggestions are welcome.

 

Thanks

 

 

 

 

 

5 Replies

@Szpilman 

Could you please check if you are in Automatic calculation mode, not Manual one

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Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately it's not the solution. I checked and the automatic calculation mode is already on.

@Szpilman 

May I clarify. You have some numbers in B5,E5,D5 and B6,E6,D6. Doesn't matter they were entered manually or calculated by formula.

and formula

=B5*SIN(RADIALEN(E5*D5))

 somewhere in row 5. 

You copy above formula and paste it to the cell down, which gives

=B6*SIN(RADIALEN(E6*D6))

Result is the same as in above, correct?

 

One more question. If Formulas->Error checking->Circular reference, do you see one?

 

 

@Sergei Baklan 

 

Shortly: Yes, the result is the same for =B5*SIN(RADIALEN(E5*D5)) and =B6*SIN(RADIALEN(E6*D6))

(btw: These formula is in column H)

 

It's even get stranger now:

If I remove the formula in column D and replace it manually by typing the values, I get a right answer in the column H (and after removing the radians like below:) formula B6*SIN(RADIALEN(E6*D6)), B5*SIN(RADIALEN(E5*D5)), ....

 

However, if I use the values in column D created by a formula, the output shows a totally wrong answer. If I add the radians, it shows the right answer for the first cell. The others which are copied down in col. H are just exact the same value, which is imossible due to changing values in column E and D.

 

I also checked it with my graphical calculator all the time. 

 

- I don't see circular reference under Error checking.

 

@Szpilman 

Perhaps you may generate and share sample file to illustrate an issue?