Remove invisible characters...?

HI,
I am using MS Excel 10 and see in the formula bar " ' 10 " for some numbers. Those numbers are int eh columns where some formulas do nto work, such as simple averaging.
How can I remove the " 'space " part without altering the numbers?
Why do those appear before some numbers?
What other problems might I cause by removing them? (like maybe removing the "zero" as the leading number in a multiple digit number...?)
Thanks,
Synthia

if it is a space use trim() that will remove the space before and after the number

you may find also value() may help as that will change a text formated number into a value
But
need to see exactly how its formatted
" ' 10 "

as that has a ' and " around

Thanks it is actually an apostrophe and a blank space before some numbers.

It makes the average function return a "divO" error.

Thanks,
Synthia

Highlight the column with those values in, then click on Data, then Text-to-Columns, then click Finish on the first panel.

Hope this helps.

Pete

I tried trim and clean and still get #DIV/0! in three of five columns....they all have the same type of numbers and all columns have some blank cells in them....wonder how I can figure why some have errors that others don't? and fix it...?
Thanks,
Synthia

I tried trim and clean and still get #DIV/0! in three of five columns....they all have the same type of numbers and all columns have some blank cells in them....wonder how I can figure why some have errors that others don't? and fix it...?
I attached.

Thanks,
Synthia

is it always a
space apostrophe space

if so then you can do a

Mid(cell, 3, len(cell)-3)
which will remove the

then add value to change text to a number
assuming number in cell B3

=VALUE(MID(B3,3,LEN(B3)-3))