Excel functions / Maths & statistics
MOD & ABS
MOD returns the remainder after division. ABS removes the minus sign from a number.
Syntax
=MOD(number, divisor)
=ABS(number)Arguments
number | The value to work with. |
|---|---|
divisor | For MOD: the number to divide by. |
How it works
MOD gives what is left over after dividing. =MOD(10,4) is 2, because 4 goes into 10 twice with 2 left. It is handy for spotting every other row or splitting items into boxes.
ABS returns the size of a number without its sign, so -15 becomes 15. Use it to measure how far apart two values are, whichever is bigger.
Example
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Items | Per box | ||
| 2 | 10 | 4 | 2 | |
| 3 |
Result: 2. Two full boxes of 4, with 2 items left over.
Tips
- =ABS(A2-B2) gives the difference between two numbers, always as a positive value.
Practise MOD & ABS
Try it yourself in a real spreadsheet, with instant feedback on every answer.