ABS

Beginner

Math & Calculation

Returns the absolute value of a number (removes negative sign). Always returns a positive number or zero.

Syntax
=ABS(number)
Parameters
number
Required
(number)

Number to get absolute value of

Examples
Real-world examples to help you understand how to use ABS

Get absolute value

=ABS(-25)

Converts negative to positive

Result: 25

Calculate absolute difference

=ABS(A1-B1)

Gets distance between two values

Result: Absolute difference

Variance calculation

=ABS(Actual-Budget)

Shows variance regardless of direction

Result: Variance amount

Common Use Cases
  • ✓Calculate differences
  • ✓Find distances
  • ✓Variance analysis
  • ✓Error calculations
  • ✓Normalize values
Pro Tips
  • 💡Always returns non-negative result
  • 💡ABS(0) = 0
  • 💡Useful in error calculations
  • 💡Combine with other math functions
Common Errors
  • ⚠️Expecting ABS to work with text
  • ⚠️Not needed for already positive values
  • ⚠️Confusion with SIGN function
Related Formulas
SIGNSUMSQSQRT

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