What does ^ do in a formula?

M

Mickford

Can anyone tell me what funtion the ^ character performs in a formula?
Example:
IF(OR(B6<=0,F6<=0),"--",((+F6/B6)^(1/4)-1))
 
B

Beege

Mickford said:
Can anyone tell me what funtion the ^ character performs in a formula?
Example:
IF(OR(B6<=0,F6<=0),"--",((+F6/B6)^(1/4)-1))
Click to expand...

Raise to a power (in this case, I think 4 root)

Beege
 
R

Rick Rothstein \(MVP - VB\)

Can anyone tell me what funtion the ^ character performs in a formula?
Example:
IF(OR(B6<=0,F6<=0),"--",((+F6/B6)^(1/4)-1))
Click to expand...

It is how you raise one number to a power. Put this in a cell and it should
become clearer to you...

=2^3

Two raised to the third power is 8.

Rick
 
C

Chip Pearson

The '^' character means "raise a number to a power". For example,

3^2 = 3 * 3 = 9
2^3 = 2 * 2 * 2 = 8

For roots of a number, such as the square or cube root, you use (1/N) where
N is the root you want to return. For example,

9 ^ (1/2) = 3
8 ^ (1/3) = 2
16 ^ (1/4) = 2

In the formula you posted, the sub-part

(F6/B6)^(1/4)

divides F6 by B6 and then takes the 4th root of that quotient.

--
Cordially,
Chip Pearson
Microsoft MVP - Excel, 10 Years
Pearson Software Consulting
www.cpearson.com
(email on the web site)
 
J

JE McGimpsey

It's the exponentiation operator.

In that formula, it raises (F6/B6 to the one-fourth power (or,
equivalently, returns the fourth root of F6/B6).

Note that the + is unnecessary in the formula.
 
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