ABS Function in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, OpenOffice Calc, and Apple Numbers returns the absolute value of any supplied number.
Absolute Value mathematically means the value of a number irrespective of its sign. In simple terms, it displays the number without its sign.
For example:
If the value of a number displayed in the cell is -500 then using this Function will display the actual value of the number, 500.
You might have a question that we can easily do the same by just removing the negative sign.
So why use the ABS Function?
This function is useful in big datasets when you have to combine multiple values.
Moreover, it falls under the mathematical category in all spreadsheet programs.
Let us explore how to use the ABS Function in each of these spreadsheet programs.
Table of Contents
How To Use ABS Function in Microsoft Excel
ABS stands for absolute value. It returns the absolute value of a number.
The absolute value of a number is the number without its sign, so it is always positive.
To use the ABS function in Excel, you will need to enter the formula “=ABS(cell reference)” into a cell, replacing “cell reference” with the cell that contains the number for which you want to find the absolute value.
For example, if you want to find the absolute value of the number in cell A1, you would enter “=ABS(A1)” into a cell.
Press Enter to get the result.
Syntax
ABS (Number, Cell Reference, or Formula)
Where:
Number: ABS (-2)
Cell Reference: ABS(A2)
Formula: ABS(SUM(A2:A7))
How to use ABS Function in Google Sheets
To use the ABS function in Google Sheets, you will need to enter the formula “=ABS(cell reference)” into a cell, replacing “cell reference” with the cell that contains the number for which you want to find the absolute value.
For example, if you want to find the absolute value of the number in cell A1, you would enter “=ABS(A1)” into a cell.
You can also use the formula by directly passing the number instead of a cell reference, like =ABS(-5)
Syntax
ABS (Number, Cell Reference, or Formula)
Where:
Number: ABS (-2)
Cell Reference: ABS(A2)
Formula: ABS(SUM(A2:A7))
How to use ABS Function in Apple Numbers
To use the ABS function in Numbers, you will need to enter the formula “=ABS(cell reference)” into a cell, replacing “cell reference” with the cell that contains the number for which you want to find the absolute value.
Alternatively, you can use the “ABS” function by clicking on the “Functions” button in the toolbar, and then selecting the “ABS” function from the list of mathematical functions. Then input the number or cell reference you would like to find the absolute value of.
You can also use the formula by directly passing the number instead of a cell reference, like =ABS(-5)
Syntax
ABS (Number, Cell Reference, or Formula)
Where:
Number: ABS (-2)
Cell Reference: ABS(A2)
Formula: ABS(SUM(A2:A7))
How to use ABS Function in OpenOffice Calc
To use the ABS function in OpenOffice Calc, you will need to enter the formula “=ABS(cell reference)” into a cell, replacing “cell reference” with the cell that contains the number for which you want to find the absolute value.
Alternatively, you can use the “ABS” function by clicking on the “Function Wizard” button in the toolbar, and then selecting the “ABS” function from the list of mathematical functions.
Then input the number or cell reference you would like to find the absolute value of, by clicking on the cell or directly entering the number.
Make sure to use a semicolon(;) as the function argument separator instead of a comma(,), as OpenOffice Calc uses a semicolon as the default separator.
Syntax
ABS (Number; Cell Reference; or Formula)
Where:
Number: ABS (-2)
Cell Reference: ABS(A2)
Formula: ABS(SUM(A2;A7))
The ABS function doesn’t work if the argument given in the form of the number, cell reference, range, or formula is text.
Possible Errors
There are a few possible errors that might display when using the ABS function in Excel:
#NAME? Error: This error occurs when Excel does not recognize the ABS function as a valid formula. This can happen if the formula is typed incorrectly or if the formula is referencing a cell that does not contain a number.
#VALUE! Error: This error occurs when the argument passed to the function is not a number. For example, if a text string or a logical value (TRUE/FALSE) is passed to the function, this error will appear.
#REF! Error: This error occurs when the cell reference passed to the function is invalid or the cell has been deleted.
#NUM! Error: This error occurs when the function is passed an invalid number, such as a very large or very small number that exceeds the number of significant digits Excel can handle.
#N/A Error: This error occurs when the cell that is referenced in the function is empty or contains a formula that returns an error.
To fix these errors, check the formula and the cell references used in the function to ensure they are correct and make sure that the cell referenced in the ABS function contains a number.
You can also check out other Functions like NUMBERTEXT, SpellNumber, and SpellNumber Indian Rupees
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