Excel offers various number formats to customize how your data is displayed without affecting the underlying values.
Here's a breakdown of formatting for currency, percentages, and decimals:

Currency Formatting:

1. Select the cells: Choose the cell(s) containing the numbers you want to format as currency.
2. Apply Currency format: There are two ways to do this:
- Number Format dropdown: Go to the "Home" tab. In the "Number" group, click the dropdown arrow next to the "Number" format box.
- Shortcut (Optional): Press Ctrl+1 (Windows) or Command+1 (Mac) for a quicker option.
3. Choose Currency format: In the "Format Cells" window that appears, under the "Category" list, select "Currency."
4. Select Currency Symbol (Optional): By default, Excel uses the currency symbol based on your system settings. You can click the dropdown arrow next to the "Symbol" box to choose a different currency symbol if needed.
5. Set Decimal Places (Optional): You can adjust the number of decimal places displayed by using the "Decimal places" box. For example, for two decimal places, enter "2."
6. Negative numbers (Optional): Click the "Accounting" format option under "Category" if you want to use parentheses or red text to display negative numbers.
7. Click OK: Once you've chosen your settings, click "OK" to apply the currency format.

Percentage Formatting:

1. Follow steps 1 and 2: Select the cells and access the "Format Cells" window as explained in the currency formatting section.
2. Choose Percentage format: Under the "Category" list, select "Percentage."
3. Set Decimal Places (Optional): Similar to currency, you can define the number of decimal places displayed for percentages.
4. Click OK: Apply the format by clicking "OK."

Decimal Formatting:

1. Follow steps 1 and 2: Select the cells and access the "Format Cells" window.
2. Choose Number format: Under "Category," select "Number."
3. Set Decimal Places: Specify the desired number of decimal places to be displayed.
4. Add Commas (Optional): Check the box for "Use 1,000 Separator" if you want to display commas for thousands separators (e.g., 1,234.56).
5. Click OK: Apply the format by clicking "OK."

Additional Tips:

* You can create custom number formats by selecting "Custom" under "Category" and using specific codes to define the format.
* Remember, formatting only changes the appearance of the numbers, not their actual values. You can see the underlying value by clicking in the formula bar.