How to use GAUSS Function in Excel

The Excel GAUSS function returns the probability that a member of a standard normal population will fall between the mean and a specified number of standard deviations from the mean.

Syntax:= GAUSS(z)

The GAUSS function syntax has the following arguments:

• Z (required argument) – This is the real number at which we want to evaluate the GAUSS function.

Example: Let’s look at some Excel GAUSS function examples and explore how to use the GAUSS function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:

Syntax:  =GAUSS(A2)

Result: -0.499999713

Based on the Excel spreadsheet above, the following GAUSS examples would return:

Note:

• 1. #VALUE! error – Occurs when any of the number arguments that are provided directly to the function are text strings that cannot be interpreted as numbers – that is, the value provided for Z is non-numeric.
  2. #NUM! error – Occurs when the given value of Z is an invalid number.
  3. As NORM.S.DIST(0,True) always returns 0.5, GAUSS(z) will always be 0.5 less than NORM.S.DIST(z,True).
  4. The GAUSS function is not particularly meaningful for negative values of z. To calculate the probability that something falls in the range of -1.5 to the mean, we need to use the formula =GAUSS(1.5).
  5. If we use Excel 2010 or earlier versions, the formula is =NORM.S.DIST(z,True)-0.5.