How would I do this sum in Excel please?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Denise Green
  • Start date Start date
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Denise Green

am new to excel (and maths to some extent!) so how do I put the following
calculation into the formula bar please.

42,450 x (1+0.004167) to the power of 120
 
I would use:

=42450*(1.004167^120)


Denise said:
am new to excel (and maths to some extent!) so how do I put the following
calculation into the formula bar please.

42,450 x (1+0.004167) to the power of 120
Click to expand...
 
Denise Green said:
am new to excel (and maths to some extent!) so how do I put the following
calculation into the formula bar please.
42,450 x (1+0.004167) to the power of 120
Click to expand...

You could write any of the following:

=42450*(1+0.004167)^120

=42450*1.004167^120

=42450*(1.004167^120)

But if 0.004167 represents 50%/120, in general it would be more accurate and
less error-prone to write:

=42450*(1+50%/120)^120

And if you are doing future-value calculations, it might more clear and more
generally applicable to write:

=FV(50%/120, 120, 0, -42450)
 
Presuming you want to do the additon, then the multiplication, then exponent,
it would be

=(42450*(1.004167))^120

However, 1.79769313486231^308 is the largets number allowed in a cell, so
this would exceed the limit.
 
Sean Timmons said:
Presuming you want to do the additon, then the multiplication, then
exponent,
it would be
=(42450*(1.004167))^120
Click to expand...

You forgot some parentheses, to wit:

=(((42450)*(1.004167))^(120))

:-) :-) :-)

Good point about the ambiguity of the English description. I decided not to
mention it myself because I thought the form of her description made her
application clear. But you know what they say about ass-u-me ;-).


----- original message -----
 
PS....
But if 0.004167 represents 50%/120
Click to expand...

Actually, I suspect it represents 5%/12.

in general it would be more accurate and less error-prone to write:
Click to expand...

=42450*(1+5%/12)^120

or

=FV(5%/12, 10*12, 0, -42450)


----- original message -----
 
Good point about the ambiguity

Sometimes using Power can help.

=42450*POWER(1+5%/12, 120)

= = = = = = =
 
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