Change negative numbers to positive

Generic formula
=ABS(number)
Summary
To change negative numbers to positive and leave positive numbers along (i.e. get absolute values) use the built-in ABS function. In the example shown the formula in C6 is:
=ABS(B6)
Explanation
The ABS function is fully automatic. All you need to do is supply a number and ABS will return the absolute value.
Convert negative numbers in place
If you only need to convert negative numbers once, you can convert in-place with Paste Special:
- Add -1 to a cell and copy to the clipboard
- Select the negative numbers you want to convert
- Use Paste Special > Values + Multiply
The video on this page shows this technique and many other paste special shortcuts.
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