The GAUSS function returns the probability that a random variable, drawn from a normal distribution, will be between the mean and z standard deviations above (or below) the mean. A normal distribution is also commonly known as a Gaussian distribution, from which this function gets its name.
Parts of a GAUSS formula
GAUSS(z)
| Part | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
z | The number of standard deviations from the mean. | * The parameter zrepresents how far away from the mean a random variable might fall. * A normal distribution is characterized by a mean (μ) and a standard deviation (z * σ). |
Sample formulas
GAUSS(1)
GAUSS(B2)
Notes
- A negative z value causes GAUSS(z) to return a negative number.
- When z uses the value in another cell (e.g. “GAUSS(B2)”), the GAUSS function returns 0 if there’s no data in the cell.
- Calling GAUSS(z) asks the question, “what’s the probability that a random number will be between μ and the standard deviation z * σ?”
Examples
| A | B | C |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Function | Result |
| 2 | =GAUSS(1) | 0.3413447461 |
| 3 | =GAUSS(-1) | -0.3413447461 |
| 4 | =2*GAUSS(1) | 0.6826894921 |
Related function
NORMDIST: The NORMDIST function returns the value of the normal distribution function (or normal cumulative distribution function) for a specified value, mean, and standard deviation.