ABS Function (Functions in Excel)

 

Number	Absolute Value
10	10	=ABS(C4)
-10	10	=ABS(C5)
1.25	1.25	=ABS(C6)
-1.25	1.25	=ABS(C7)

What Does it Do ?
This function calculates the value of a number, irrespective of whether it is positive or negative.
Syntax
=ABS(CellAddress or Number)
Formatting
The result will be shown as a number, no special formatting is needed.
Example
The following table was used by a company testing a machine which cuts timber.
The machine needs to cut timber to an exact length.
Three pieces of timber were cut and then measured.
In calculating the difference between the Required Length and the Actual Length it does
not matter if the wood was cut too long or short, the measurement needs to be expressed as
an absolute value.
Table 1 shows the original calculations.
		The Difference for Test 3 is shown as negative, which has a knock on effect
		when the Error Percentage is calculated.
		Whether the wood was too long or short, the percentage should still be expressed
		as an absolute value.
	Table 1
	Test Cut		Required Length	Actual Length	Difference	Error Percentage
	Test 1		120	120	0	0%
	Test 2		120	90	30	25%
	Test 3		120	150	-30	-25%
					=D36-E36
Table 2 shows the same data but using the =ABS() function to correct the calculations.
	Table 2
	Test Cut		Required Length	Actual Length	Difference		Error Percentage
	Test 1		120	120	0		0%
	Test 2		120	90	30		25%
	Test 3		120	150	30		25%
					=ABS(D45-E45)

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