Microsoft Office Online
Sign in to My Office Online (What's this?) | Sign in

 
 
Microsoft Office Excel
Search
Search
 
Check for updates: (c) Microsoft
Office downloads
 
 
 
Warning: You are viewing this page with an unsupported Web browser. This Web site works best with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Firefox 1.5, or Netscape Navigator 8.0 or later. Learn more about supported browsers.

Email this linkEmail this link Printer-Friendly VersionPrinter-Friendly Version Bookmark and ShareShare
EXPONDIST
 

Returns the exponential distribution. Use EXPONDIST to model the time between events, such as how long an automated bank teller takes to deliver cash. For example, you can use EXPONDIST to determine the probability that the process takes at most 1 minute.

Syntax

EXPONDIST(x,lambda,cumulative)

X   is the value of the function.

Lambda   is the parameter value.

Cumulative   is a logical value that indicates which form of the exponential function to provide. If cumulative is TRUE, EXPONDIST returns the cumulative distribution function; if FALSE, it returns the probability density function.

Remarks

  • If x or lambda is nonnumeric, EXPONDIST returns the #VALUE! error value.
  • If x < 0, EXPONDIST returns the #NUM! error value.
  • If lambda ≤ 0, EXPONDIST returns the #NUM! error value.
  • The equation for the probability density function is:

    Equation

  • The equation for the cumulative distribution function is:

    Equation

Example

The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.

ShowHow to copy an example

  1. Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
  2. Select the example in the Help topic.

    Note  Do not select the row or column headers.

    Selecting an example from Help

    Selecting an example from Help

  3. Press CTRL+C.
  4. In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
  5. To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Tools menu, point to Formula Auditing, and then click Formula Auditing Mode.
 
1
2
3
A B
Data Description
0.2 Value of the function
10 Parameter value
Formula Description (Result)
=EXPONDIST(A2,A3,TRUE) Cumulative exponential distribution function (0.864665)
=EXPONDIST(0.2,10,FALSE) Probability exponential distribution function (1.353353)
advertisement