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Whether you’ve switched to Google Docs for typed notes or need to create a worksheet with complex mathematical notations, Google Docs has a built-in equation editor to make it easy.
Use the Google Docs Equation Editor
To get started, open an existing document or create a new one and click where you want to insert an equation. Then, go toInsertin the top menu, and selectEquationfrom the dropdown menu.
A toolbar will appear with the following drop down menus:
All you need to do is expand one of the dropdowns and select your desired symbol. It’s as simple as that!
For example, to write the formula for calculating the volume of a cylinder, you’d start by expanding theGreek lettersdropdown to choose the pi symbol. Then, go toMath operationsdropdown, pick exponents, and type “r.” Position the cursor to add the exponent, and finally, type “h.”
When you’re done typing your equation, hitEnterto exit the equation editor. If you need to add another equation, just clickNew equation. When you’re finished with equations altogether, you can hide the toolbar by going toViewin the top menu and deselectingShow equation toolbar.
Use Shortcuts to Write Math Notations Quickly
As you probably gathered from the example above, typing equations in Google Docs can be a time-consuming process. Even a simple equation, like the cylinder volume, can take a while because of the repeated need to expand dropdown menus and locate each symbol.
Thankfully, there’s a simpler way. Similar toObsidian’s equation editor, Google Docs' equations editor is based on LaTeX syntax. As a result, you may use shortcuts to write math notations quickly. To enter a symbol or function, just type its code after a backslash ().
For example, using the same cylinder formula, you can add the pi symbol by typing\pi. This isn’t limited to Greek symbols either—you can use it for all the symbols typically found in the dropdowns. While Google Docs doesn’t offer an official list of shortcuts,this sitehas a great list of all the equation editor shortcuts you can use!
Toadd a superscript, type the variable followed by a circumflex (^), and for a subscript, use an underscore (_). For example, typingr^2will give you r squared.
While I doubt Google Docs would be most students' first choice for taking math notes, it’s still a convenient option and the LaTex-based shortcuts make the tedious process much quicker.
