Math
SQRT
Definition
SQRT returns the square root of a number.
Syntax
=SQRT(number)
Arguments
| Argument | Meaning |
|---|---|
number |
The value to take the root of, or the cell holding it. It must not be negative. |
Worked example
A tile sheet turns each area back into a side length. Areas are in A2:A4.
| A: Area |
|---|
| 25 |
| 9 |
| 49 |
Formula: =SQRT(A2)
Result: 5. The square root of 25 is 5. Filled down, the formula gives 5, 3, and 7.
Practice
Cell A2 holds 16. In B2, write a formula that returns the square root of A2.
- In B2, write a SQRT formula for A2.
- B2 should show the square root of A2.
Step 1 of 2
Enter =SQRT(A2) in B2.
A2 is 16, so the square root is 4.
Formulas here use English function names, such as SUM, and a period as the decimal separator, in every language.
Loading the sheet…
B2 uses SQRT.
B2 now shows 4.
Related functions
POWER with 0.5 is the same job as SQRT. ROUND can shorten a root that is not a whole number.
Common mistake
Passing a negative number: SQRT(-16) returns #NUM!.