SQRT - Excel - Microsoft Office Online

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SQRT

Applies to: Microsoft Office Excel 2003

Returns a positive square root.

Syntax

SQRT(number)

Number is the number for which you want the square root.

Remark

If number is negative, SQRT returns the #NUM! error value.

Example

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

Show How to copy an example

Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
Select the example in the Help topic.
Note Do not select the row or column headers.

Selecting an example from Help
Press CTRL+C.
In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
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

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A
Data
-16
Formula	Description (Result)
=SQRT(16)	Square root of 16 (4)
=SQRT(A2)	Square root of the number above. Because the number is negative, an error is returned (#NUM!)
=SQRT(ABS(A2))	Square root of the absolute value of the number above (4)