How to add a formula to a text document. Create and insert a formula in Word, step-by-step instructions

When writing diploma or term papers, especially in the exact sciences, you often have to include various formulas in the text. How to insert a formula in Word if it contains not only degrees, but also indices, root signs, limit signs, and the like. In this article we will reveal all the techniques. This can be done using office suites or specialized programs.

Math Input Panel

In the Windows operating system, starting with version 7, a wonderful opportunity has appeared to easily write such formulas in Microsoft Word. This application is called Mathematical Input Panel.

To open the program, type its name in the Main Menu search.

The Math Input Panel only works with applications included in the Microsoft Office suite. Others, unfortunately, are not supported.

Appearance of the panel and working with it

Using the mouse, write the formula as you usually write it in your notebook. The input panel automatically converts the entry into printed form. Then click Insert and the formula will be inserted into the specified location in the text document.

But if, when writing the formula, your letter was recognized incorrectly, then press the button Select and fix. Next, click on the incorrectly recognized sign or symbol in your entry and select the correct option in the list that appears.

If there is no correct option, then click the button Erase and remove the incorrect sign. Then click the button Write down and carefully rewrite the erased character. For handwriting input, of course, it is better to use a stylus on the touch screen.

The inserted formula can be edited in the built-in formula editor in Word.

How to insert a formula in Word

So, let's look at how to insert a formula in Word itself. The Word text editor supports inserting various ready-made formulas from the built-in library or the Oficce.com website. To open the editor do the following:

• In the tool ribbon, go to the tab Insert and select a section Symbols.
• Click the button Equations(in word 2010 the button is called Formula).
• Select an action from the drop-down list Insert new equation(highlighted with a red frame)

The formula insertion area will appear in the text document and the formula editor panel will appear in the ribbon.

Select the required formula element templates and enter the necessary data into the frames.

When entering new templates for formula elements, pay attention to the position of the cursor (blinking dash) and its size. The correct arrangement of the elements of the formula depends on this.

How to insert a chemical formula

Writing a chemical formula is quite simple using available font formatting tools. For example, sulfuric acid. Its entry contains only subscripts. First, write the formula on one line. The characters and indices will be the same size.

How to insert a formula with a fraction

Let's look at the step-by-step creation of a formula containing a simple fraction.

We insert the equation (see screenshot above), or rather the field for entering a new formula. Further, all stages are shown in the lower figure.

1. Tab Working with Equations. Mode Constructor. Select a simple fraction template in the section Fraction. We get a template.
2. Click on the dotted area and enter the numerator of the fraction.
3. Click on the denominator and select the bracket pattern in the section Bracket.
4. Then we enter the contents of the denominator.
5. Select the denominator and select in the index templates Superscript. We indicate the degree of the denominator.
6. Click behind the fraction and make several intervals. Let's go to bracket patterns again. Select parentheses.
7. Enter the content. We take comparison and affiliation signs in the group Symbols on the toolbar Constructor.

Numbering of formulas

If several formulas are in a row in a column and they need to be numbered, then select a fragment of the page with the formulas and apply to it. If you need a different formula designation, you can write it directly after the formula in the editing area.

To change the formula, double click on it. The area where the current formula is located will be displayed, and the Designer, containing tools for editing formulas, will become available in the tool ribbon. Clicking outside the editing area turns off editing mode and the visibility of the formula field.

Changing the size of characters in a formula

To change all formula symbols:

• Select it (click on the dots tab in the upper right corner of the editing area).
• On the tab home In the toolbar, change the font settings. Button letter A with a triangle at the top.

To prevent consecutive formulas from sticking together, set double line spacing between them.

Saving formulas

If the document uses formulas of the same type that differ slightly from each other, you can save the formula. And then use it as a template, changing some of the content.

Run the command Save as new equation. The settings window will open. Here you can specify a new name for the formula, define its category, and make a description. But you can leave everything as it is. After saving, your formula will be available for quick pasting.

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The Microsoft Word text editor is widely used for creating and designing a wide variety of documents, including engineering reports, coursework, dissertations, abstracts and other things that involve calculations. For many users, working with formulas in Word becomes a problem, but once you figure it out, everything is quite simple. As you already understand, in this article we will look in detail 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 of inserting a mathematical expression into a document is identical for all versions of the text editor. The only difference is that in the latest versions the button is called “Equation”, and in older versions it is called “Formula”.

First of all, go to the “Insert” tab, in the tool ribbon, find the section called “Symbols”. It will contain the “Equation” (“Formula”) button. By clicking on the arrow next to the button, you will see a list of some standard expressions, such as:

• Binomial theorem;
• Quadratic equation;
• Area of ​​a circle;
• Sum decomposition;
• Fourier series;
• Pythagorean theorem;
• Trigonometric identities.

This saves time if you need to construct one of these expressions. If you need to insert a formula that is not included in this list, then simply click the “Equation” button.

After this, a special field for the formula will appear in the document at the place where the cursor was, in which it will be written “Place for the equation”, and at the top of the window you will find a new “Designer” tab. This tab contains many useful functions and tools that will come in handy when you need to create a complex mathematical expression. Below is a list of them:

• Fraction;
• Index;
• Radical;
• Integral;
• Large operator;
• Bracket;
• Function;
• Diacritics;
• Limit and logarithms;
• Operator;
• Matrix.

When you click on each of these tools, a window appears asking you to select the desired type. For example, there are many ways to use an integral or multiple integrals. Word contains all the types that you may need to construct any mathematical expressions.

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. You can change the size of the created equation in the classic way - highlight and select a larger font size.

Many users experience difficulties when they need to paste formulas in Word, since 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 knew Word 2003 perfectly, then when working with newer versions you may have questions about how to do this or that action that you previously performed automatically.

This statement is completely true for inserting formulas.

Working with formulas in Word 2003

This version of the text editor was the last to create documents in the well-known DOC format by default (supported since 1997), and the first to undergo a commercial rebranding from MS.

As the future has shown, changing the design of the Office 2007 suite has become a very effective solution, as evidenced by the fact that many organizations and private users still use this particular version of the office software package.

A specific feature 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 this, a window for selecting an insertion object will appear. You must click on Microsoft Equations 3.0

• After this, the formula editor will automatically launch and the main window of this subroutine will open in front of the user, in which you can write any possible formula construction.

• The program has a laconic interface, made in accordance with the design style of all Microsoft products of that period. At the top there is a control panel where standard functions are located.
  Below are 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 that place.

• The style function allows you to select the font and style type for certain characters. To define your own settings, click Style and then Define.

• The “Size” menu item makes it possible to adjust the size of various formula elements and also has the ability to set custom settings, for which you need to follow the “Size” - “Define” path.

Advice! You cannot put a space in the formula editor - the sizes between elements are adjusted automatically. If you need to insert an interval of a particular length, select the appropriate element from the suggested characters.

• When you have completed entering the formula, press Esc or close the window, as a result of which it will be inserted into the main element. Repeated editing is carried out by double-clicking 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, which also applies to the formula editor.

Therefore, if you are using a Microsoft office suite released in 2010, you can use the instructions described above to insert mathematical expressions.

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 “Formula” subitem, 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, the designer for working with formulas will open, which has its own toolbar, divided into three categories: Tools, 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 the average user will they 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 symbol, etc.
  To insert, for example, a Greek letter, you need to change the group of symbols, for which LMB click on the arrow below the scroll slider, and then on the triangle after the name of the symbol group and select the required selection.

• The last category of functions provides the user with various standard constructions of symbols, such as fractions, limits, trigonometric functions, with the help of which mathematical calculations are carried out.
  Everything here is intuitive: select the appropriate subcategory, click on it, and then click on the specific expression.

• The finished formula does not require saving, since it is one of the insertion elements, along with clips, pictures or diagrams. To continue working on other elements, simply 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, there is often a need to enter a professionally formatted formula. To do this, you need to use a special “Formula Editor”.

To create a formula, in the top panel, click on the “Insert” tab, then in the “Symbols” group, click on the arrow next to “Formula”.

In the drop-down list, select the desired formula or the “Insert new formula” command. In the field that appears, enter 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 squares) in which you need to enter the required characters or numbers. When you finish entering, you need to click the mouse outside the formula area. The entered formula will appear in the text as an object.

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 “Work with Formulas” panel. Enter the formula in the space provided. The “Work with Formulas” panel includes the following groups:

1. "Symbols"
2. "Service",
3. "Structures".

The “Service” group allows you to create a new formula, as well as select a formula from those available in the collection. Here you can also set the type of formula: linear, two-dimensional or plain text. In the “Formula Options” window, you can set the font, alignment, and position of the formula. The “Symbols” group contains mathematical symbols, operators, and Greek letters. The Structures group includes patterns such as subscript, fraction, radical, etc. When you finish entering, you need to click the mouse outside the formula area. The entered formula will appear in the text as an object.

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. In the formula area, enter the formula symbols. 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, ratio signs, mathematical symbols, etc. The bottom row of the editor contains templates (fractions, upper and lower indices, etc.) and special symbols (integral, sum sign, radical). When you have finished entering the formula, you need to press the Esc button or click the mouse outside the formula area. The entered formula will appear in the text as an object.

The need for a means to enter mathematical expressions into a text document is typical for scientific and technical documentation.

The simplest formulas in Microsoft Word can be created using various character format attributes (superscript, subscript, etc.).

Hotkey combination Ctrl+= allows you to quickly convert selected text into a subscript (like coefficients in chemical formulas). In addition, this combination can be used before entering text, which should be in subscript. To return to normal mode, press this key combination again.

You can quickly convert selected text into superscript (like degrees in mathematical formulas) by pressing a keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+=. This combination can also be used before entering text, which must be in superscript. To return to normal mode, press the same key combination again.

More complex formulas in Microsoft Word can be created using a symbol table, which can be called by specifying Insert/Symbol. In the Symbol window that opens, you need to select the Symbol font, which contains Greek letters and some mathematical symbols that cannot be entered from the keyboard.

To work with formulas, the Microsoft Office package includes an “Equation editor” (“Equation editor” in the English version). The formula editor is a stripped-down version of the “Math Type” program from Design Science. A long time ago, Microsoft bought the program from this company and has not developed it since then; while the Math Type software product has gone far ahead.

Currently, Word 2007 has a new formula tool that is more closely integrated into the word processor. The new tool works with formulas as part of the text, rather than with pictures inserted into the text, which eliminates many problems. However, the Equation Editor is still present in the latest version of Office. Let's look at working with this module using MSWord 2003 as an example.

The Microsoft Equation 3.0 formula editor in Microsoft Word allows you to create formula objects and insert them into a text document. If necessary, the inserted document can be edited directly in the document field.

Creating formulas in the Microsoft Equation 3.0 editor

Run the command Insert/Object.

In the Insert Object dialog box that opens, select the Create tab and select Microsoft Equation 3.0 in the Object Type list that opens.

The Formula control panel opens (Fig. 1). This replaces the word processor menu bar with the formula editor menu bar. A frame appears at the cursor position, limiting the area of ​​the formula being created (its size will change as the formula is entered).

Picture 1. Formula control panel

Creating formulas is done by entering numbers and letters representing variables in the space marked by the vertical cursor bar and using the formula editor toolbar buttons.

When entering formulas, you can move the cursor using the cursor keys or the mouse.

When creating formulas, only the last action performed (Edit/Undo) is undone.

When entering formulas, you can copy and paste repeating parts of the formula (Edit/Copy and Edit/Paste).

Entering and editing formulas is completed by pressing the Esc key or left-clicking anywhere in the document field outside the formula entry area. The entered formula is automatically inserted into the text as an object. Then it can be moved to any other place in the document via the clipboard ( Ctrl+X- cut out; Ctrl+V- insert).