Counting zeroes

[silverback]

Two questions for Loungers.

1. There was a poser question on the radio the other day; "If I write all the numbers from 1 to 1000 inclusive, how many times will I write the number zero?". (I missed the answer because I had to go to the loo. Gah - old age!)
Thinking about it, I had a sudden brainwave - I'll use AI.
So I asked CoPilot, ChatGPT and some other website that claimed to use ChatGPT logic - and got three different answers! 111, 192 and 300.
What is the correct answer, please?

2. Also, I am trying to use Excel functions to solve this but I rarely use functions. I've generated the numbers 1 to 1000 as text, by putting ' in front of each number. I've tried to use COUNTIF, but it obstinately returns 0 as its answer. What Excel function will solve this problem, please?
Silverback

[stuck]

Forget AI, simply type your question:
    If I write all the numbers from 1 to 1000 inclusive, how many times will I write the number zero
into Google and the first hit is this paper from the Maths Dept at Toronto Uni:
    https://www.math.utoronto.ca/barbeau/fn31.pdf

Ken

[HansV]

The numbers 10, 20, ..., 1000 have a 0 at the end. So there are 100 zeros at the end.
The numbers 100 - 109, 201 -209, ..., 901 - 909 and 1000 have a 0 in the next to last place. So there are 10*9+1 = 91 zeros in the next to last place.
Finally, 1000 has a 0 in the second to last place.
Total: 100+91+1 = 192.

Let's say you have the numbers 1 to 1000 as text in A1:A1000.
The formula

=SUM(LEN(A1:A1000)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1:A1000, "0", "")))

returns the number of zeros. If you do not have Microsoft 365 or Office 2021, confirm by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Enter.

[silverback]

Hans
Thanks for this, although I had to try each function to see what they would do before I could understand what was going on!

Ken - I tried AI because it's supposed to be the new saviour for humanity (or its nemesis). Just thought it was interesting that I got three different answers.
Going to ask it how I should vote in the forthcoming General Election next
Silverback

[stuck]

Going to ask it how I should vote in the forthcoming General Election next

Rule 10 forbids me to express my opinion on that matter

Ken

[ChrisGreaves]

- and got three different answers!

Please see also ChatGPt versus Google
Cheers, Chris