Excel treats 4/6 entered in a cell as a Date.

Explanation:

When a value is entered in an Excel cell, Excel tries to determine the data type of the value based on certain rules. In the case of the value 4/6, Excel interprets it as a Date rather than a Fraction, Number, or Text.

Reasoning:

When Excel encounters a value that resembles a date, it automatically converts it into a date format. In this case, the value 4/6 can be interpreted as April 6th (4th of June) in a date format.

Excel's Date Interpretation:

Excel follows a default date format that depends on the regional settings of the computer. In some regions, the date format is set as "mm/dd/yyyy" (e.g., April 6th, 2022). In other regions, the date format is set as "dd/mm/yyyy" (e.g., 4th June 2022). Therefore, Excel may interpret the value 4/6 differently based on the regional settings.

Changing the Default Interpretation:

To change the default interpretation of a value in Excel, you can apply a specific format to the cell or use a different data type. For example, you can format the cell as a Fraction to display the value as a fraction rather than a date.

To do this:
1. Select the cell.
2. Right-click and choose "Format Cells" from the context menu.
3. In the Format Cells dialog box, select the "Fraction" category.
4. Choose the desired fraction format and click "OK".

By applying the Fraction format, Excel will display the value 4/6 as a fraction (2/3) instead of interpreting it as a date.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, when 4/6 is entered in an Excel cell without applying any formats, Excel treats it as a Date by default. To change this interpretation, you can apply a specific format to the cell or use a different data type such as Fraction.