How to vertically align tables with different row counts?

Question

I obtained this code from a previous answer. However, when the number of rows in the two tables are different, the tables become misaligned. How can I align them at the top? I attempted using the command \begin{tabular}[t], but it did not work.

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\begin{document}
\begin{table} 
\caption{Your Caption}
\begin{minipage}{0.5\textwidth}
\begin{tabular}[t]{ccc}
\toprule
\textbf{Cell} & \textbf{Simulation} & \textbf{Theoretical} \
\midrule
0  &  0.0  &  7.88e-31   \
0  &  0.0  &  7.88e-31   \
\vdots & \vdots & \vdots  \ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage} \hfill
\begin{minipage}{0.5\textwidth}
\begin{tabular}[t]{ccc}
\toprule
\textbf{Cell} & \textbf{Simulation} & \textbf{Theoretical}  \
\midrule
\vdots & \vdots & \vdots  \
99  &  0.0  &  7.88-29  \ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage}
\end{table}
\end{document}

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 01 '23 at 16:01

Two possibilities:

Either remove the minipages so that the [t] option of the tabulars can do their job

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\begin{document}
\begin{table} 
\caption{Your Caption}
%\begin{minipage}{0.5\textwidth}
\begin{tabular}[t]{ccc}
\toprule
\textbf{Cell} & \textbf{Simulation} & \textbf{Theoretical} \
\midrule
0  &  0.0  &  7.88e-31   \
0  &  0.0  &  7.88e-31   \
\vdots & \vdots & \vdots  \ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
%
%\end{minipage} \hfill
%\begin{minipage}{0.5\textwidth}
\begin{tabular}[t]{ccc}
\toprule
\textbf{Cell} & \textbf{Simulation} & \textbf{Theoretical}  \
\midrule
\vdots & \vdots & \vdots  \
99  &  0.0  &  7.88-29  \ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
%\end{minipage}
\end{table}
\end{document}

Align the minipages at the top:

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\begin{document}
\begin{table} 
\caption{Your Caption}
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.5\textwidth}
\begin{tabular}[t]{ccc}
\toprule
\textbf{Cell} & \textbf{Simulation} & \textbf{Theoretical} \
\midrule
0  &  0.0  &  7.88e-31   \
0  &  0.0  &  7.88e-31   \
\vdots & \vdots & \vdots  \ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage} \hfill
\begin{minipage}[t]{0.5\textwidth}
\begin{tabular}[t]{ccc}
\toprule
\textbf{Cell} & \textbf{Simulation} & \textbf{Theoretical}  \
\midrule
\vdots & \vdots & \vdots  \
99  &  0.0  &  7.88-29  \ 
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{minipage}
\end{table}
\end{document}

How to vertically align tables with different row counts?

1 Answers1