Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

I think Jimmy was looking for a default calculation. The article states, "On a new worksheet, the default width of all columns is 8.43 characters, which corresponds to 64 pixels." It makes sense that the character width to pixel ratio is dependent on the standard font (although I haven't tested to see if changing the standard font affects this ratio). However, I suspect the default ratio of 8.43 characters to 64 pixels is pretty standard. Or perhaps the article should not have stated the default column width and the corresponding pixel count?

Jimmy, on my version of Excel, which has the default ratio above, each character past the first one takes up 7 pixels. For some reason, Excel divides the first character into 12 divisions. You can hover over each column divider to see the width in both characters and pixels. Test by changing the column width, then hover the mouse to confirm that ratio is correct on your version also.

So the formula to convert column width to pixels (for the default ratio above, which has valid widths from 0 to 255) is this:
=ROUND(IF(ColWidth<1, ColWidth*12, 12+((ColWidth-1)*7)), 0)

To convert back to ColumnWidth, use this formula:
=ROUND(IF(Pixels<12, Pixels/12, 1+((Pixels-12)/7)), 2)

Reply

By default, every row and column of a new workbook is set to the same height and width. Excel allows you to modify column width and row height in different ways, including wrapping text and merging cells.

Optional: Download our practice workbook.

Watch the video below to learn more about modifying columns, rows, and cells.

To modify column width:

In our example below, column C is too narrow to display all of the content in these cells. We can make all of this content visible by changing the width of column C.

  1. Position the mouse over the column line in the column heading so the cursor becomes a double arrow.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Click and drag the mouse to increase or decrease the column width.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. Release the mouse. The column width will be changed.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

With numerical data, the cell will display pound signs (#######) if the column is too narrow. Simply increase the column width to make the data visible.

To AutoFit column width:

The AutoFit feature will allow you to set a column's width to fit its content automatically.

  1. Position the mouse over the column line in the column heading so the cursor becomes a double arrow.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Double-click the mouse. The column width will be changed automatically to fit the content.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

You can also AutoFit the width for several columns at the same time. Simply select the columns you want to AutoFit, then select the AutoFit Column Width command from the Format drop-down menu on the Home tab. This method can also be used for row height.

Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

To modify row height:

  1. Position the cursor over the row line so the cursor becomes a double arrow.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Click and drag the mouse to increase or decrease the row height.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. Release the mouse. The height of the selected row will be changed.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

To modify all rows or columns:

Instead of resizing rows and columns individually, you can modify the height and width of every row and column at the same time. This method allows you to set a uniform size for every row and column in your worksheet. In our example, we will set a uniform row height.

  1. Locate and click the Select All button just below the name box to select every cell in the worksheet.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Position the mouse over a row line so the cursor becomes a double arrow.
  3. Click and drag the mouse to increase or decrease the row height, then release the mouse when you are satisfied. The row height will be changed for the entire worksheet.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

Inserting, deleting, moving, and hiding

After you've been working with a workbook for a while, you may find that you want to insert new columns or rows, delete certain rows or columns, move them to a different location in the worksheet, or even hide them.

To insert rows:

  1. Select the row heading below where you want the new row to appear. In this example, we want to insert a row between rows 4 and 5, so we'll select row 5.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Click the Insert command on the Home tab.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. The new row will appear above the selected row.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

When inserting new rows, columns, or cells, you will see a paintbrush icon next to the inserted cells. This button allows you to choose how Excel formats these cells. By default, Excel formats inserted rows with the same formatting as the cells in the row above. To access more options, hover your mouse over the icon, then click the drop-down arrow.

Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

To insert columns:

  1. Select the column heading to the right of where you want the new column to appear. For example, if you want to insert a column between columns D and E, select column E.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Click the Insert command on the Home tab.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. The new column will appear to the left of the selected column.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

When inserting rows and columns, make sure you select the entire row or column by clicking the heading. If you select only a cell in the row or column, the Insert command will only insert a new cell.

To delete a row or column:

It's easy to delete a row or column that you no longer need. In our example we'll delete a row, but you can delete a column the same way.

  1. Select the row you want to delete. In our example, we'll select row 9.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Click the Delete command on the Home tab.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. The selected row will be deleted, and those around it will shift. In our example, row 10 has moved up, so it's now row 9.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

It's important to understand the difference between deleting a row or column and simply clearing its contents. If you want to remove the content from a row or column without causing others to shift, right-click a heading, then select Clear Contents from the drop-down menu.

Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

To move a row or column:

Sometimes you may want to move a column or row to rearrange the content of your worksheet. In our example we'll move a column, but you can move a row in the same way.

  1. Select the desired column heading for the column you want to move.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. Click the Cut command on the Home tab, or press Ctrl+X on your keyboard.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. Select the column heading to the right of where you want to move the column. For example, if you want to move a column between columns E and F, select column F.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  4. Click the Insert command on the Home tab, then select Insert Cut Cells from the drop-down menu.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  5. The column will be moved to the selected location, and the columns around it will shift.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

You can also access the Cut and Insert commands by right-clicking the mouse and selecting the desired commands from the drop-down menu.

Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

To hide and unhide a row or column:

At times, you may want to compare certain rows or columns without changing the organization of your worksheet. To do this, Excel allows you to hide rows and columns as needed. In our example we'll hide a few columns, but you can hide rows in the same way.

  1. Select the columns you want to hide, right-click the mouse, then select Hide from the formatting menu. In our example, we'll hide columns C, D, and E.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  2. The columns will be hidden. The green column line indicates the location of the hidden columns.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. To unhide the columns, select the columns on both sides of the hidden columns. In our example, we'll select columns B and F. Then right-click the mouse and select Unhide from the formatting menu.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  4. The hidden columns will reappear.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

Wrapping text and merging cells

Whenever you have too much cell content to be displayed in a single cell, you may decide to wrap the text or merge the cell rather than resize a column. Wrapping the text will automatically modify a cell's row height, allowing cell contents to be displayed on multiple lines. Merging allows you to combine a cell with adjacent empty cells to create one large cell.

To wrap text in cells:

  1. Select the cells you want to wrap. In this example, we'll select the cells in column C.
  2. Click the Wrap Text command on the Home tab.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. The text in the selected cells will be wrapped.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

Click the Wrap Text command again to unwrap the text.

To merge cells using the Merge & Center command:

  1. Select the cell range you want to merge. In our example, we'll select A1:F1.
  2. Click the Merge & Center command on the Home tab. In our example, we'll select the cell range A1:F1.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?
  3. The selected cells will be merged, and the text will be centered.
    Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

To access more merge options:

If you click the drop-down arrow next to the Merge & Center command on the Home tab, the Merge drop-down menu will appear.

Which of the following can you drag a double click to change the width of a column?

From here, you can choose to:

  • Merge & Center: merges the selected cells into one cell and centers the text
  • Merge Across: merges the selected cells into larger cells while keeping each row separate
  • Merge Cells: merges the selected cells into one cell but does not center the text
  • Unmerge Cells: unmerges selected cells

You'll want to be careful when using this feature. If you merge multiple cells that all contain data, Excel will keep only the contents of the upper-left cell and discard everything else.

To center across selection:

Merging can be useful for organizing your data, but it can also create problems later on. For example, it can be difficult to move, copy, and paste content from merged cells. A good alternative to merging is Center Across Selection, which creates a similar effect without actually combining cells.

Can you drag or double

To change the width of columns to fit the contents, select the column or columns that you want to change, and then double-click the boundary to the right of a selected column heading. To change the width of all columns on the worksheet, click the Select All button, and then drag the boundary of any column heading.

Which of the following features resizes column width?

The answer is 2. Autofit. Explanation: The Autofit feature of Microsoft Excel will resize the width of the column or row's height in order to accommodate the height or width of the largest entry.

Which of these methods can you use to set the width of a column in a worksheet?

To modify column width: Click and drag the column to the right to increase column width or to the left to decrease column width. Release the mouse. The column width will be changed in your spreadsheet.

Which of the following statements describes how to increase or decrease a column's width?

Which of the following statements describes how to increase or decrease a column's width? Drag the boundary next to the column heading.