What do I need to enter into a cell for this example?
x*.04=500
I want it to output the value of x
This is a joke? Funny… Type =500/0.04 and get 12500
As @JohnSUN said, the short way is to divide 500 by 0.04. However, we can also ask Calc to solve the algebra problem for us.
- Enter the following labels: “x” in A1,
'.04in B1, “desired product” in C1, and “multiply” in D1. - Highlight row 2 and press Ctrl+1 (or Format → Cells). Use number format -1234.57 and press OK.
- In A2, enter 1 as an initial guess for x. Enter 0.04 in B2 and 500 in C2.
- In D2, enter the formula
=A2*B2. - Go to Tools → Solver. Target cell is $D$2, Optimize result to Value of $C$2, By changing cells $A$2.
- Press Solve, then Keep Result. Now our answer is the value of x shown in A2.
You could as well use the Goal Seek (Tools menu). It is easy to handle.