Creating mathematical formulas in word. Learning to add formulas in Microsoft Word

Word is a recognized leader among text editors. However, some specific features of Word are not used every day and raise questions. Scientific and technical documents often contain mathematical formulas, the writing of which seems difficult without additional knowledge about using this tool in Word. There are several ways to insert formulas into a document.

Video on inserting formulas in Word

The simplest ways to insert formulas in MS-Word

The simplest option can be used if the task is only to use lower or upper case. In the main menu of Word, in the “Font” section, there are tools that allow you not only to change the typeface, style or point, but also to select a superscript or subscript version of the character. The buttons are designated as follows: X 2 and X 2. This feature will especially appeal to those who are faced with the problem of how to write chemical formulas and equations. The demand for such a function was heard by the developers, who assigned hotkeys for converting to upper or lower case: Ctrl+Shift+= and Ctrl+=, respectively.

Another way to write a formula with a not very complex structure is to use symbols (Insert - Symbol). The Symbol font contains, for example, Greek letters, which are often found in mathematical equations, as well as .

Using the Microsoft Equation Editor

To create more complex formulas, you have to use special editors that are included with the program. The Microsoft Equation 3.0 editor has proven itself well, which is a truncated version of the “Math Type” program and is included with old and new versions of Word. To insert a formula in Word using this tool, you need to find it in the objects menu:

If you frequently work with formulas, it can be quite inconvenient to open the Microsoft Equation 3.0 editor each time through the “Object” menu. For users of new versions (2007, 2010), the problem of how to insert a formula is solved much faster, since the developers themselves have placed the “Formula” button on one of the “Insert” panels. This tool is called “Formula Builder”, does not require opening a new window and allows you to do the same operations as the previous editor.

“Formula Builder” allows you not only to create your own formulas, but also to use a set of templates; To view them, you need to click on the triangle-arrow next to the “Formula” button. The standard set contains, for example, the Pythagorean theorem, the quadratic equation, the area of ​​a circle, Newton's binomial and other equations popular in physics and mathematics.

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.

Formula Editor Toolbar

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.

Chemical formula in Word

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.

Formula Creation Steps

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.

Enlarge the formula font

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.

Saving a formula

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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Today, almost all people use Microsoft Word. This is especially true for office employees. In addition, this text editor is especially popular among students and schoolchildren, since they often have to write various coursework and independent works. But not everyone knows how to insert a formula in Word.

This article will discuss the basic principles and capabilities of working with equations. In addition, differences in different versions of the editor will be demonstrated. If you are still using Word 2007, after reading these instructions, you will understand that it is high time to upgrade.

In order to insert any equation, you need to do the following:

1. Click on the “Tab” menu item. Click on the down arrow icon. Thanks to this, there will be more menu items.

1. Then select the “Object” item.

1. In the window that appears, select “Microsoft Equation 3.0”. To insert, click on the “OK” button.

1. When you launch the editor for the first time, Windows will configure it. You must wait for the process to complete.

1. After this, you will be able to create various formulas.

1. To do this, you first need to click in the selected area, and then select a section of formulas and the appropriate option.

1. Immediately after this, the selected element will appear in the formula input field. Here you can write whatever you want.

1. Enter some number. To exit the editor, you need to left-click on the empty space.

1. Thanks to these actions, the element will no longer be active and you will see the finished equation.

This editor was preserved in subsequent versions of Word. You can read more about its capabilities in the online help on the official Microsoft website.

MS Word 2007, 2010

This release of the office suite was revolutionary for Microsoft. His appearance has improved significantly. In addition, a huge number of new features and functions have appeared.

In 2007, Word has a new formula editor, which is many times superior to Microsoft Equation 3.0. But you can’t abandon the old one either, since support for Word 2003 documents will be lost.

Ready-made options

One of the main innovations is a pre-prepared set of various mathematical equations. To see this list, you need to do the following:

1. Open the "Insert" section. Click on the triangle next to the “Formula” button. After this, a large list of popular expressions will appear:
   • binomial theorem;
   • quadratic equation;
   • area of ​​a circle;
   • decomposition of the sum;
   • Taylor series;
   • Fourier series;
   • Pythagorean theorem;
   • various trigonometric identities.

1. After you select one of the proposed options, you will have a new “Constructor” tab where you can edit any equation.

Inserting a new formula

In order to insert something of your own, rather than using a blank, you need to take the following steps:

1. Click on the empty space (or where you want to insert the equation).
2. Open the Insert tab.
3. Click on the "Formula" button.

1. Immediately after this, “Space to enter” will appear. Here you can write something by hand.

1. In addition, you can insert some kind of structure.

The principle of operation in modern editors is almost the same as in Word 2007 and 2010. Of course, a number of changes have occurred. But the concept remains the same. Therefore, a more detailed review of the various capabilities will be carried out on modern versions.

Working with formulas in MS Word 2013, 2016

The first thing you should pay attention to is the change in the name of the function. Now it's called "Equations".

Built-in equations

In order to see template options, you need to do the following:

1. Go to the "Insert" tab.
2. Click on the “Symbols” button.
3. Click on the triangle icon next to the “Equation” item.
4. Select any desired option.

The developers from Microsoft tried their best and made a selection of the most relevant expressions.

More equations from Office.com

But if this is not enough for you, then you can open the extended list. To do this, you need to repeat the steps described above, but instead of selecting a formula, click on the item of the same name below.

As a result, you will see the following list:

• absolute value;
• reproduction of fractions to powers;
• reproduction of degree to degree;
• the second law of actions with exponents;
• fractional exponents;
• negative exponent.

Insert new equation

If the options suggested above are not enough, you can always create something of your own. For example, the sum of squares or something else. To do this you need to do the following:

1. Go to the "Insert" tab.
2. Click on the "Symbols" button.
3. Click on the "Equation" icon.

1. This will result in "Equation Space". In addition, the toolbar will automatically switch to the Design tab.

If you have a small monitor resolution or the Microsoft Word application window is not full screen, then the panel will take the following form. All elements will still be available, but you will have to make an extra click to get to them.

Formula structures

Thanks to these constructions, you can create equations of any complexity, since all known mathematical operators can be found there. For example, you can even build a matrix table.

Let's take a closer look at the structures. These include:

• fraction;

• index;

• radical (roots);

• integrals:
  • ordinary;
  • contour;
  • differentials.

• major operator:
  • amounts;
  • works;
  • unions and intersections;
  • other large operators;
  • ordinary large operators.

• bracket:
  • standard view;
  • brackets and separators;
  • separate brackets.

• condition sets and brackets;
• regular brackets.

• function;
  • trigonometric;
  • reverse;
  • hyperbolic;
  • inverse hyperbolic;
  • basic.

• diacritics:
  • ordinary;
  • formulas within;
  • features above and below;
  • objects with regular diacritics.

• limit and logarithm:
  • functions;
  • main functions.

• operator:
  • basic;
  • structures;
  • basic structures.

• matrix:
  • empty;
  • dots;
  • single;
  • matrices with brackets;
  • sparse matrices.

As you can see, thanks to this you will be able to create mathematical expressions and physical formulas of any complexity.

Using symbols in a constructor

In order to expand the capabilities, a “Symbols” section has been added to the “Design” tab. For example, a parenthesis, a hash mark, a greater than sign, a number, and so on - you can easily type using the keyboard. But the rest will be a problem.

In order to expand the list completely, you need to click on the triangle in the lower right corner of this block.

As a result of this, you will see the following list.

Character categories

Notice that there is a drop-down list at the top. If you click on it, you can see a list of all available categories. The default is "Basic Math Symbols".

Other sets include:

• Greek letters;

• letter-like characters;

• operators;

• arrows;

• relationships with denial;

• special letter styles;

• geometry.

Inserting regular characters

In addition, it is possible to use standard characters that are intended for plain text. To do this you need to do the following:

1. Open the "Insert" tab.
2. Click on the “Symbols” icon.
3. Then select the “Symbol” option.
4. A list of recently used items will then appear. To insert, just click on any of them.

1. In order to expand the entire list, you need to click on the “Other symbols” item.

1. As a result of this, you will see the following window.

1. Here you can also change the content depending on the set. And there are a lot of them - the list is quite impressive.

In this tab, you will be able to see an additional list of symbols and corresponding keyboard shortcuts.

Assigning a new keyboard shortcut

If a certain character needs to be inserted very often, then you can always create your own combination of buttons on the keyboard. This method is much faster than numerous menu clicks.

To do this you need to take the following steps:

1. Select the desired item from the list.
2. Next, you need to click on the “Keyboard shortcut” button.

1. This will open the “Keyboard Settings” window. Click on the “New keyboard shortcut” field.
2. Press the desired combination of keys on your keyboard.
3. After this, the “Assign” button will become active. To save the settings, click on it.

In addition, you can use the autocorrect function. To do this, click on the appropriate button.

In the window that opens, go to the “AutoCorrect with Mathematical Symbols” tab. Thanks to this, you will see a large list of different combinations.

If you enter regular text into the equation field, it will appear in italics. The editor has a large set of functions that are reserved and not highlighted because they are formulas.

If you want to add something non-standard, you need to click on the “Recognized functions” button.

Then in the window that appears, enter what you want and click on the “Add” button. To save, click on “OK”.

As a visual aid, let's try to create a formula for the period of oscillation of a mathematical pendulum. It looks like this.

To do this, you must perform the following steps.

1. Go to the “Insert” tab. Click on the “Symbols” button. Click on the “Equation” item.

1. This will result in "Equation Space".

1. Enter the leading characters "T=2". Then, in the list of symbols, click on the “π” icon (how to do this was described a little higher).

1. Then add the root. To do this, click on the “Radical” icon and select the most common option.

1. In the element that appears, click on the square, which is an input field.

1. After this, insert the usual vertical fraction.

1. In the fraction that appears, we enter the letters we need into each square one by one. Then simply click in an empty area of ​​the document.

1. As a result of this, you will see a ready-made physical formula.

Saving formulas

If you use an expression very often, then instead of entering it again each time, it is best to save it and use a ready-made template in the future.

This is done very easily.

1. Right-click on an empty space in the formula. It is in the workspace of this object, and not on the page. This space is highlighted in grey.
2. Then, from the context menu that appears, select “Save as New Equation.”

1. As a result, the “Create a new building block” window will appear.
2. Here you can specify:
   • collection;
   • category;
   • a description that you would like to specify (this field is empty by default, unlike all the others).
3. To save, click on the “OK” button.

You can see the result of your efforts as follows.

1. Open the “Insert” tab.
2. Then click on the “Symbols” button.
3. Click on the triangle under the “Equation” icon.
4. After this, a large list of standard equations will appear.
5. If you scroll all the way to the bottom, you'll see that there's a new General category. This is where all your saved formula options will be located.

For those who do not want to make a lot of clicks on different structures and symbols, Microsoft developers have come up with an option for manually entering formulas. To do this, open the “Design” tab and click on the corresponding button.

As a result, the following window will appear.

Here, in addition to the preview and the drawing field, you can see additional buttons:

• write down;
• erase;
• select and correct;
• clear.

Try to draw something and it will automatically transform into a beautiful expression.

Try to draw the symbols as neatly and clearly as possible. The editor is very smart, but he is not a psychic. It is impossible to make out unclear handwriting.

After you see the desired result, you will need to click on the “Insert” button.

Decor

As a rule, almost all objects can be edited in the Microsoft Word editor. And equations are no exception.

Appearance

By default, all formulas have a professional look. But this can be changed.

1. To do this, you first need to right-click on an empty area in the equation.
2. Then select “Linear” from the context menu that appears.

1. As a result of this you will see the following.

Sometimes it is necessary to highlight an equation to differentiate it from the main text. To do this, just increase the size of the characters by a few points.

In addition, you can (for convenience, keyboard shortcuts to call this function are indicated in parentheses):

• select font (Ctrl +Shift +F);
• specify the desired size (Ctrl +Shift +P);
• decrease by a few points (Ctrl +[ );
• change text color;
• add various effects;
• make some characters bold (Ctrl +B), italic (Ctrl +I) or underlined (Ctrl +U).

By default, they all have a vertical view. But this can be fixed.

1. Right-click on the fraction.
2. In the context menu that appears, you can select any of the options offered to you.

These include:

• diagonal fraction;

• horizontal option;

Working with degrees (indices)

If you click on the main square of the corresponding element, the following options will appear in the context menu.

If you right-click on the secondary squares, the menu will change.

When working with roots, the context menu takes the following form. For example, you can add a box to indicate the degree.

The result will be as follows.

Generalization

It is important to understand that this way you can work with any element of the formula. Wherever you right-click the mouse, the corresponding context menu will always appear. Its contents will depend on where exactly you clicked.

Thanks to this, you can change the appearance of equations beyond recognition, compared to the default options. But don't overdo it. Try to adhere to generally accepted norms.

Conclusion

The Microsoft Word editor is a very powerful tool for creating and working with various equations of any complexity. This article covered all the basic possibilities of working with formulas. If things don't work out for you, you're probably clicking on the wrong things.

Video instruction

For those who still have any questions, a video with additional comments on the instructions described above is attached below.

How to write a formula in Word?

When working with text, it is not always possible to get by using only letters and numbers. Sometimes work requires entering both simple and quite complex formulas. This is not a problem, because Microsoft has equipped its Word 2007 and Word 2010 editors with a very convenient formula builder.

About the formula designer MS Word 2007/2010

Thanks to the built-in constructor, you can write a formula in Word in just a couple of clicks. It implements the following features:

• insertions of general use structures (fraction, integral and others);
• creation of any complex structures;
• editing formulas;
• saving new formulas for quick insertion.

Launching the Formula Builder

To launch the formula designer in MS Word 2007/2010 you need to:

1. select the “Insert” section (at the top);
2. Click the “Formula” button (far right).

Thanks to this, a new section “Designer” will appear with subsections “Service”, “Symbols” and “Structures”.

Public structures

A collection of predefined, shared structures makes formula insertion much easier. To write a formula in Word using them you need:

1. run constructor;
2. in the “Structures” subsection, select the required one;
3. indicate the required values ​​in it.

The values ​​are entered in special fields (outlined by a dotted line). By default, the mathematical style is set for input fields in structures, that is, all letters entered in Latin font will be displayed with an angle. To enter plain text, you need to use the “Plain Text” button in the “Service” subsection.

Formula style

For ease of formula editing, professional (two-dimensional) and linear (one-dimensional) forms are available. For the created structure you can also set:

• displayed view when the formula is centered on the page separately from the text (default);
• inline, when the formula is embedded in the text.

You can select one of them like this:

1. create a formula;
2. in the menu that opens, select “Change to built-in” or “Change to displayed” (depending on the current display).

Saving the new formula

The constructor has the ability to save new formulas for regular use. By default, the collection already contains Quadratic Equation, Newton's Binomial, Area of ​​a Circle and others. To supplement them with yours you will need:

1. create a formula;
2. click on the arrow in the lower right corner of its border;
3. select “Save as new formula”;
4. in the window that opens, give the new formula a name and select a directory to place it in.

Now the design will always be at hand. To call it, just click on the arrow next to the “Formula” button in the “Insert” section.

Formatting a formula in a Word document is a fairly common occurrence in practice. Usually it is required when writing all kinds of scientific papers, including term papers, essays, and so on. However, often users, especially beginners, do not know how to correctly and, most importantly, quickly, create a formula in a text editor. That is why in our article we will tell you about several ways to write a formula in Word.

How to write a formula in Word 2003?

And so, in this section, we will talk about how a user can write a formula in Word 2003. In order to insert a formula, first place the cursor in the place of the document where you want to place the object. After that, click the “Insert” tab located on the toolbar, then go to “Object”.

A window will appear on the screen, in which the user must select “microsoft equation 3.0” and press the OK button.

If everything was done correctly, a window will appear on the screen where the user can select the required sign. Here we offer matrices, fractions, roots, powers, in a word, everything you need to write even the most complex mathematical formulas. By the way, the window looks like this:

If you are using a different version of Word, then microsoft equation 3.0 may not be installed by default. How to write a formula in Word of other versions– read in the following sections.

We write the formula in Word 2007, 2010

So, what is the algorithm of action in this case? In fact, there is nothing complicated about this:

1. To begin, click on the “Insert” section on the top toolbar.
2. Next we find the “Formula” item.
3. After this, the user can use the available templates to create the required formula.

How to write a formula in Word 2013 and 2016

In fact, the algorithm of actions in this case is practically no different from that described above. The first step is for the user to place the cursor at the place on the page where the formula needs to be added. Next, go to the “Insert” section, then to the “Symbols” group and hover the cursor over the word “Equation”. After this, a list of equations will appear on the screen, look for what you need and simply click on the desired option.

The selected option will be placed in the center of the page; to align the formula, just click on the small arrow to the right of the block, selecting the desired alignment method. If the required formula is not found in the lists, you can add it manually. The user must click "Insert New Equation". After that, click on “Designer” and begin creating the formula itself.

How to do this? Characters are entered from the keyboard. If you need to insert a fraction, this can be done by going to the “Structures” block. Here the user must select the desired option, all data fits into the dotted squares. Working with “Structure” looks something like this:

By the way, in addition to “Structures”, the user can also go to the section called “Symbols”. To view the entire list, you need to click on the arrow to the right of the block that points to the bottom. By the way, there are not only mathematical symbols here, but also all kinds of arrows, Greek letters, etc.

How to save formulas in Word editor?

If you often have to use certain formulas in Word, then the editor functionality allows you to save them. For what? So that in the future you don’t have to type them manually and do the same job several times. To do this, just select the block with the formula, then click on the arrow located on the right side. The next step is to select “Save as new equation” from the list. After that, fill in the empty fields and click OK. After this, the necessary equation can be used at any time.

Can I change a saved formula? Of course you can. To do this, simply double-click on the formula. You can edit it only after it is highlighted in gray and the cursor is blinking on it.

We hope that our article helped you understand the question: how to write a formula in Word? As practice shows, there is nothing complicated about this, and even a novice Word user can cope with such a task. Follow the algorithm of actions and you will definitely succeed!