Excel Order of Operations
Excel Order of Operations
(OP)
I was browsing through the threads and came across a warning, and ensuing discussion (thread404-157296), on whether Excel should calculate the expression -5^2 as equal to 25 or -25. If you use the Excel function Power(number,power) then there is no ambiguity. If you want to square -5 then you would enter, =Power(-5,2). If you want to negate the square of 5, then you would enter =-power(5,2).





RE: Excel Order of Operations
RE: Excel Order of Operations
-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)
RE: Excel Order of Operations
Lol. Good point.
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RE: Excel Order of Operations
And as far as operation order, if you remember your high school math class in the absence of parenthesis the equation should be computed by taking powers/squares first, then multiply/divide, and lastly add/subtract.
ISZ
RE: Excel Order of Operations
-handleman, CSWP (The new, easy test)
RE: Excel Order of Operations
As hammers go, Excel isn't a good one.
- Steve
RE: Excel Order of Operations
It equals 25. -5^2 = (-5)^2 not -1 x (5^2)
No way! It equals -25. -5^2 = -(5)^2 = -1 x (5^2)
Check any algebra book.
Regards
RE: Excel Order of Operations
The end conclusion in that thread was: use parentheses so you get the answer you expect.
Patricia Lougheed
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