SQRT
Return the positive square root of a number. Negative numbers return #NUM!.
Syntax
SQRT(number)| Argument | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
number | Required | The number to take the square root of. Must not be negative. |
Examples
Every example below was executed against VisiGrid engine 0.54.0 — not
transcribed from another vendor's documentation. Reproduce any of them with vgrid calc.
| Formula | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|
=SQRT(16) | 4 | |
=SQRT(2) | 1.41 | Shown to two decimal places; the full value is kept for further arithmetic. |
=SQRT(3^2+4^2) | 5 | The hypotenuse of a 3-4-5 triangle. |
=SQRT(-4) | #NUM! | A negative number has no real square root. |
=POWER(2,0.5)=SQRT(2) | TRUE | A square root is the power one half. |
Negative input is an error, on purpose
SQRT(-4) returns #NUM! rather than a guess. If a negative value reaching
SQRT means the data is wrong, that error is useful and should be left alone.
Wrap the argument in ABS only when the sign genuinely
carries no meaning:
=SQRT(ABS(-4)) → 2Other roots
SQRT only does square roots. For a cube root or any other, raise to a
fractional power with POWER or the ^ operator:
=POWER(27,1/3) → 3Excel compatibility
Matches Excel, including #NUM! for negative input.