How to use SLOPE Google Sheets formula?

The syntax for the SLOPE formula is =SLOPE(data_y, data_x), it has 2 required parameters.

Why is SLOPE Google Sheets formula not working?

One common reason the SLOPE formula may not be working is due to mismatched array sizes. The <code>data_y</code> and <code>data_x</code> arrays must be the same size. If they are different sizes, the formula will return an error.

SLOPE

The SLOPE formula calculates the slope of the linear regression line that best fits the input data. It is commonly used in statistics to analyze trends and predict future values based on past performance.

How to use SLOPE formula?
Examples of using SLOPE formula
SLOPE formula not working?
Similar formulas to SLOPE

Usage

Use the SLOPE formula with the syntax shown below, it has 2 required parameters:

=SLOPE(data_y, data_x)

Parameters:

data_y (required):
An array or range of cells representing the dependent variable data points. The length of this array or range should be equal to or greater than the length of the data_x parameter.
data_x (required):
An array or range of cells representing the independent variable data points. The length of this array or range should be equal to or greater than the length of the data_y parameter.

Examples

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

Predicting future values

By calculating the slope of the linear regression line using past performance data, you can use the SLOPE formula to predict future values based on the input of new data points.

Analyzing trends

The SLOPE formula can be used to analyze the trend of a set of data points over time, and determine if the trend is increasing or decreasing.

Comparing trends

You can use the SLOPE formula to compare the trends of two sets of data points over the same time period, and determine which trend is steeper or more gradual.

Common Mistakes

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

Mismatched array sizes

The data_y and data_x arrays must be the same size. If they are different sizes, the formula will return an error.

Non-numeric data

The data_y and data_x arrays must contain only numeric data. If they contain non-numeric data, the formula will return an error.

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

INTERCEPT
The INTERCEPT function calculates the point where the line of best fit for a set of data intercepts the y-axis. This function is commonly used in regression analysis to find the constant b in the equation y=mx+b where m is the slope of the regression line.
CORREL
The CORREL formula returns the correlation coefficient between two sets of data. This coefficient represents the strength of the linear relationship between the two sets of data, with values ranging from -1 (perfect negative correlation) to 1 (perfect positive correlation).
FORECAST
The FORECAST function in Google Sheets is a statistical function that predicts a future value along a linear trend. It returns the predicted value for a chosen x value based on the linear regression of a set of known x and y values. This function is commonly used in finance to predict future values.
TREND
The TREND formula is used to calculate future values based on historical data. It fits a straight line (using the method of least squares) to the arrays specified in the known_data_y and known_data_x parameters and then uses that line to calculate new y-values for the array specified in the new_data_x parameter. If b is set to TRUE, then the calculation will include the y-intercept of the line. This formula is commonly used in forecasting and trend analysis.

Learn More

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