How to Convert Date to Number in Google Sheets

To convert a date to a number in Google Sheets, you can use the DATEVALUE function, which converts a date represented as a text string into a serial number that Google Sheets recognizes as a date. The serial number refers to the number of days since December 30, 1899.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to convert a date to a number in Google Sheets:

1. Open your Google Sheets document or create a new one.
2. In a cell, type the date you want to convert to a number. For example, let's say the date is in cell A1 and has the value 'June 1, 2021'.
3. In another cell, type the following formula: =DATEVALUE(A1) and press Enter. Replace 'A1' with the cell that contains the date you want to convert.
4. The formula will return the serial number for the date, which represents the number of days since December 30, 1899.

Example

Here's an example of converting a date to a number in Google Sheets:

1. In cell A1, type the date 'June 1, 2021'.
2. In cell B1, type the formula =DATEVALUE(A1) and press Enter.
3. Cell B1 will now display the serial number '44353', which represents the date June 1, 2021.

Note: The serial number might not be meaningful by itself, but it can be used in calculations and other date-related functions in Google Sheets.