Excel Distance Calculation Formula

Excel Formula for Calculating Distance

Introduction

In Excel, the distance between two points in a Cartesian coordinate system can be calculated using the Euclidean distance formula. Given two points, ( (x_1, y_1) ) and ( (x_2, y_2) ), the formula to compute the distance ( d ) is:

[ d = \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2} ]

Excel Formula

To implement this in Excel, suppose you have the following setup:

• The first point's coordinates are in cells:
  • A1: x1
  • B1: y1
• The second point's coordinates are in cells:
  • A2: x2
  • B2: y2

The Excel formula for calculating the distance would be:

=SQRT((A2 - A1)^2 + (B2 - B1)^2)

Explanation of the Formula

• SQRT(...): This function computes the square root of the value inside the parentheses.
• (A2 - A1)^2: Calculates the square of the difference between the x-coordinates of the two points.
• (B2 - B1)^2: Calculates the square of the difference between the y-coordinates of the two points.
• The sum of these two squared differences gives the squared distance, and taking the square root converts it back to the standard distance metric.

Practical Example

Assuming the following coordinates:

• Point 1: (3, 4) which means:

  • x1 = 3 (Cell A1)
  • y1 = 4 (Cell B1)

• Point 2: (7, 1) which means:

  • x2 = 7 (Cell A2)
  • y2 = 1 (Cell B2)

When you apply the formula:

=SQRT((7 - 3)^2 + (1 - 4)^2)

Calculation Breakdown

1. Calculate the differences:

   • ( 7 - 3 = 4 ) (difference in x-coordinates)
   • ( 1 - 4 = -3 ) (difference in y-coordinates)

2. Square the differences:

   • ( 4^2 = 16 )
   • ( (-3)^2 = 9 )

3. Sum the squares:

   • ( 16 + 9 = 25 )

4. Take the square root:

   • ( \sqrt{25} = 5 )

Thus, the distance between the points (3, 4) and (7, 1) is 5 units.

Conclusion

The provided formula is effective for calculating the distance between two points in a 2D plane using their Cartesian coordinates. This formula can be directly applied to any set of coordinates in Excel for practical and analytical purposes. For further exploration of advanced Excel techniques, consider accessing the Enterprise DNA platform.