F.DIST

• How to use F.DIST formula?
• Examples of using F.DIST formula
• F.DIST formula not working?
• Similar formulas to F.DIST

Usage

Use the F.DIST formula with the syntax shown below, it has 4 required parameters:

=F.DIST(x, degrees_freedom1, degrees_freedom2, cumulative)

1. x (required):
   The value at which to evaluate the CDF.
2. degrees_freedom1 (required):
   The numerator degrees of freedom.
3. degrees_freedom2 (required):
   The denominator degrees of freedom.
4. cumulative (required):
   A boolean value that determines the form of the function to be used. If cumulative is true, then F.DIST returns the CDF. If cumulative is false, then F.DIST returns the probability density function (PDF).

Examples

Calculating the probability of two variances being equal

Suppose you have two sets of data and you want to determine if they are from the same population. You can use the F.DIST function to calculate the probability that the variances of the two sets of data are equal. If this probability is high, then you can conclude that the two sets of data are from the same population.

Calculating the probability of a test statistic

Suppose you have conducted a statistical test and you have a test statistic that follows an F-distribution. You can use the F.DIST function to calculate the probability of obtaining a test statistic as extreme or more extreme than the one you observed, assuming the null hypothesis is true.

Calculating the power of a statistical test

Suppose you want to determine the power of a statistical test. The power of a test is the probability of correctly rejecting the null hypothesis when it is false. You can use the F.DIST function to calculate the power of a test for a given sample size and effect size.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect order of arguments

One common mistake is providing the arguments in the wrong order, which can lead to unexpected results. Make sure to provide the x value first, followed by the degrees of freedom for the numerator and denominator, and then the cumulative value.

Incorrect degrees of freedom values

Another common mistake is providing incorrect values for the degrees of freedom. Make sure to provide positive integer values for both degrees of freedom.

Confusing cumulative and non-cumulative modes

A mistake users often make is not understanding the difference between the cumulative and non-cumulative modes. In cumulative mode, the formula returns the probability that the observed F-value is less than or equal to x. In non-cumulative mode, it returns the probability that the observed F-value is exactly x. Make sure to use the appropriate mode for your analysis.

Providing non-numeric values for arguments

Make sure to provide numeric values for all arguments. Providing non-numeric values will result in an error.

Using incorrect function name or syntax

Make sure to use the correct function name and syntax. Using an incorrect function name or syntax will result in an error.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to F.DIST or are often used with it in a formula:

• F.INV

  The F.INV function in Google Sheets returns the inverse of the F probability distribution, given a probability and degrees of freedom. The F distribution is used in statistical analysis to compare the variances of two samples, and F.INV is used to find the value at which a given probability level is exceeded.

• T.DIST

  The T.DIST function returns the probability of a Student's t-distribution with a specified degrees of freedom. This function is usually used in hypothesis testing to determine the probability that a sample mean is within a specified range of values.

• NORM.DIST

  The NORM.DIST formula is a statistical function that returns the normal distribution of a specified variable. It is used to determine the probability of a random variable falling within a specified range of values. This function is commonly used in finance and scientific research.

Learn More

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