Insert an equation (Word 2003 moving to 2007/10)

[ChrisGreaves]

Please and Thank You: What's a recommended procedure for inserting a simple algebraic equation into a MSWord document?
I'm using Word 2003, but have 2007 on hand, so I'm especially keen to use a method that will migrate fairly easily to 2007/2010 when the time (soon) comes.

From Word 2003 help files:-
Insert an equation using Equation Editor
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1.Click where you want to insert the equation.
2.On the Insert menu, click Object, and then click the Create New tab.
3.In the Object type box, click Microsoft Equation 3.0.

As a starting point, will this create something readable in Word 2007? 2010?

Generally speaking I don't use equations, but this week I have occasion to use some Newtonian mechanics
s=ut+1/2 at2
E=1/2 mv2
E=mc2
and that's about it.
Certainly I don't plan to use much else; maybe a square-root symbol or two.

P.S. Me being me I immediately peeked under the hood to see what is generated.
A field!
Surprise!!

1.png

Which prompts another question: I think of "Embed" as "embedding an image".
Ought I to create images for these equations and then use Insert, Picture, Link to conjure them up whenever I want them instead of pasting them throughout my documents?

[HansV]

The Equation Editor is the (relatively) easiest way to insert a good-looking equation.

Word 2007 and 2010 have a completely new equation editor, but the old Word 97-2003 equation editor is still available, so you can edit equations created in Word 2003 or earlier.

Word also has an EQ field that can be used to create equations, but it's rather clunky and not user-friendly.

[ChrisGreaves]

The Equation Editor is the (relatively) easiest way to insert a good-looking equation.

Thanks Hans.
In the end I made the equations with The Equation Editor and then PrtScr'd them to image files so that my (simple minded) web compiler could hoist them up to a web page. (It's easier to u/l a PNG file than to write a whole lot of messy html/ccss to deal with an equation or three!)

[agibsonsw]

There is an interesting Mathematicsaddin for Word 2007/2010 which includes standard formulae and can create a pretty graph.

I've had this installed for over a month but, typically!, uninstalled it 10 minutes ago , as I don't really need it. So I can't recall if you can save an equation (or graph) directly as a picture.

[ChrisGreaves]

... typically!, uninstalled it 10 minutes ago

Please see also my reply to Leif

Ain't it always the way?

For now for my limited use I'll use the old PrtScr trick.
I was mainly pleased to hear that EE3.0 carries forwards to 2007/2010.
I think I last used it 15 years ago (probably not 3.0, although could be ... ) when I was teaching "Intermediate Word" etc; one of those things that schools dropped in to make the course look REALLY flashy, but no one would ever use after they left the classroom.

[agibsonsw]

@Chris
I also demonstrated this addin, and the Microsoft Mathematics (free) calculator, occasionally - but no-one seemed to show any interest in them. I blame it on the Facebook age! So I've uninstalled them.

I had an equation editor many years ago (couple of floppies..). Can't remember what it was called(?) but I think I must have needed to enter key-codes for the scientific characters and constantly switch fonts as well. It wasn't very good at embedding these characters within normal text and, occasionally (I recall) I would print it out in order to draw a line within a formula

Andy.