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EXPONDIST

The EXPONDIST function calculates the probability of an event occurring at a specific time, assuming that the events follow an exponential distribution. It is commonly used in reliability analysis to model the time between failures of a system.

Usage

Use the EXPONDIST formula with the syntax shown below, it has 3 required parameters:

=EXPONDIST(x, LAMBDA, cumulative)
Parameters:
  1. x (required):
    The value at which to evaluate the function.
  2. LAMBDA (required):
    The rate parameter of the distribution.
  3. cumulative (required):
    A boolean indicating whether to return the cumulative distribution function (true) or the probability density function (false).

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the EXPONDIST formula in Google Sheets.

Calculate the probability of an event occurring within a specific time frame

By using EXPONDIST with cumulative set to true, you can determine the probability that an event will occur within a given time frame, given a known rate of occurrence.

Model time between failures

Using EXPONDIST, you can model the time between failures of a system and estimate the probability of failure within a given time frame.

Common Mistakes

EXPONDIST not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the EXPONDIST Google Sheets Formula:

Missing arguments

The EXPONDIST formula requires three arguments: x, LAMBDA, and cumulative. Make sure all three arguments are included in the formula.

Incorrect argument order

Make sure you are entering the arguments for the EXPONDIST formula in the correct order: x, LAMBDA, and cumulative.

Invalid input type

The x and LAMBDA arguments must be numeric values. Make sure you are not entering any non-numeric characters or text strings.

Incorrect cumulative value

The cumulative argument should be either TRUE or FALSE, depending on whether you want to calculate the cumulative or probability density function, respectively.

Incorrect lambda value

The lambda value should be a positive number. Make sure you are entering a valid value for lambda.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to EXPONDIST or are often used with it in a formula:

  • NORMDIST

    The NORMDIST function in Google Sheets calculates the normal distribution for a specified value, mean, and standard deviation. It returns the probability of a value occurring within a specified range of a normal distribution. It is commonly used in statistics, finance, and science to analyze data and make predictions.

  • BINOMDIST

    The BINOMDIST function calculates the probability of a certain number of successes in a fixed number of trials given a constant probability of success for each trial. This function is commonly used in statistical analysis and hypothesis testing.

  • POISSON

    The POISSON function returns the Poisson distribution probability density function, which is used to show the probability of a certain number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time or space. It takes in the values for the number of events (x), the mean (mean), and a boolean for whether or not to return the cumulative distribution (cumulative).

Learn More

You can learn more about the EXPONDIST Google Sheets function on Google Support.