Setting tab stops for equation writing in scientific papers

While writing equations giving equation number at the right side of the column is often a problem. Also while writing the table of content, its a problem to place the page number in the right side. Often we start pressing arbitrary number of tabs and spaces to make it happen or insert table or some other clumsy things. There is a better way in MS word to do this. It is called tab stop. Setting a center tab stop you can instruct the word process or stop at the center each time you press a tab from the beginning of the line. On the other hand, if you set a right tab stop also, then you can press another tab to go to the right end of the line. For doing this, do the following:

1. Go to the line you want to format
2. In MS word 2007 press the little button at the right botton corner of the "paragraph" ribbon. There will be a new window in which a button named "Tab.." will be in the botton left corner. Press that
3. Tab window appears. Now you have to create two tabs except for the default one. In the "tab stop position" text field write in centimeters the (total length of your line) / 2. To know the total length of your horizontal line check the horizontal ruler.
4. Then in the "alignment" section select the center radio button and press "set".
5. Follow the similar steps for the right tab stop, but in this case write the value of extreme right end of your horizontal rular in the "tab stop position" text field and selct the right radio button and press set.
6. So you are ready now. Press OK and go out of the window. Just press tab and you can see your text are moving very elegently.

Good luck!!