Purpose

Return value

Syntax

=PI()

Using the PI function

The PI function returns the value of π (pi) accurate to 15 digits. The value of π represents a half-turn in radians and appears in many formulas relating to the circle. The PI function takes no arguments :

=PI() // returns 3.14159265358979

Circumference of a circle

The constant π appears in many math formulas relating to the circle. The formula for the circumference of a circle is 2πr. Given a radius of 3, the same formula in Excel is:

=2*PI()*3 // circumference of circle, r=3

Area of a circle

The area enclosed by a circle with radius (r) is defined by the following formula: πr 2 . With radius in cell A1, the same formula in Excel with the PI() function is:

=PI()*A1^2

Radians to degrees

To convert an angle measured in radians in terms of π, the DEGREES function can be used to get the corresponding angle in degrees:

=DEGREES(PI()) // Returns 180°
=DEGREES(2*PI()) // Returns 360°

See wumbo.net for a more detailed explanation of key math concepts and formulas.

Purpose

Return value

Syntax

=POWER(number,power)
  • number - Number to raise to a power.
  • power - Power to raise number to (the exponent).

Using the POWER function

The POWER function returns a number raised to a given power. POWER is an alternative to the exponent operator (^) in a math equation.

The POWER function takes two arguments: number and power . Number should be a numeric value, provided as a hardcoded constant or as a cell reference. The power argument functions as the exponent, indicating the power to which number should be raised.

Examples

To raise 2 to the 3rd power, you can use POWER like this:

=POWER(2,3) // returns 8

To raise 2 to the 8th power:

=POWER(2,8) // returns 256

To cube the value in cell A1:

=POWER(A1,3) // cube A1

Fractional exponents

To use the power function with a fractional exponent, enter the fraction directly as the power argument:

=POWER(27,1/3) // returns 3
=POWER(81,1/4) // returns 3
=POWER(256,1/8) // returns 2

Exponent operator

In Excel, exponentiation can also be handled with the exponent (^) operator , so:

=2^2=POWER(2,2)=4
=2^3=POWER(2,3)=8
=2^4=POWER(2,4)=16