Build me the perfect equation... in Microsoft Word

March 19, 2008 8:32 PM

How do I use Word 2007's Equation Builder to create a combination of subscripted and normal size characters?

I'm using Microsoft Word 2007's Equation Builder to insert some formulae into a document. The majority of my formulae have elements that look like this: _ab_c

However, the Equation Builder has other plans, and will only let me enter a subscripted character after a normal character, so it ends up looking like this: a_bc

In other words, I want to be able to include a subscript on either side of a normal sized character. The whole thing is part of a fraction, which is why I'm using the Equation Builder and not entering it as normal text.

What I have tried:
- Creating it as normal text and pasting it into the equation builder (the subscripts revert to normal sized text when it is pasted in)
- Manually changing the characters to subscripts in the equation builder (the option is greyed out).

Any ideas? Is this even possible? It's driving me crazy!

posted by madforplaid to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

Best answer: I just tried doing this and had no problems with it. Here's what I did. I opened equation editor and open the subscript and superscripts menu. I clicked on the symbol that looks like a big box with a small box to the lower left of it. I entered the lower left subscript in the small box (a) and then moved up to enter the main character (b). Then I again clicked on the menu and clicked on the symbol that looked like a big box with a small box to the lower right of it. I then entered the lower subscript in the small box that appeared. Try that and tell me if you have any problems.
posted by peacheater at 9:11 PM on March 19, 2008

Sorry I should have checked that over before posting: I then entered the lower right subscript (c) in the small box that appeared to the bottom right of everything else.
posted by peacheater at 9:13 PM on March 19, 2008

Best answer: Second peacheater. Here's what I did:

1. Insert equation
2. Pick from the menu the item that looks like ^a_bc (except the "a" and b are aligned - this isn't because it's HTML)
3. Put an "a" in the bottom-left subscript box.
4. Put a "b" in the normal-sized box
5. Highlight this entire unit
6. Pick the regular right-side subscript from the menu.
7. The _ab is placed inside of the normal-sized box of the right-sided subscript, since it was highlighted. If it wasn't highlighted, you should be able to copy and paste it in
8. Then I put a "c" in the subscript box created in step 6.

The equation editor is pretty picky so you have to be sure that when you select stuff, you're selecting the entire block and not just a single letter.
posted by !Jim at 12:44 AM on March 20, 2008

Response by poster: Thanks peacheater and !Jim, your instructions worked perfectly!
posted by madforplaid at 4:35 AM on March 20, 2008