Excel formula: 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.

Author

Dave Bruns

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Related functions

Excel ABS Function

The Excel ABS function returns the absolute value of a number. Negative numbers are converted to positive numbers, and positive numbers are unaffected.

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