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RAND
See Also
Returns an evenly distributed random number greater than or equal to 0 and less than 1. A new random number is returned every time the worksheet is calculated.
Syntax
RAND( )
Remarks
- To generate a random real number between a and b, use:
RAND()*(b-a)+a
- If you want to use RAND to generate a random number but don't want the numbers to change every time the cell is calculated, you can enter =RAND() in the formula bar, and then press F9 to change the formula to a random number.
Example
The example may be easier to understand if you copy it to a blank worksheet.
How?
- Create a blank workbook or worksheet.
- Select the example in the Help topic. Do not select the row or column headers.
Selecting an example from Help
- Press CTRL+C.
- In the worksheet, select cell A1, and press CTRL+V.
- To switch between viewing the results and viewing the formulas that return the results, press CTRL+` (grave accent), or on the Tools menu, point to Formula Auditing, and then click Formula Auditing Mode.
|
A |
B |
Formula |
Description (Result) |
=RAND() |
A random number between 0 and 1 (varies) |
=RAND()*100 |
A random number equal to 0 but less than 100 (varies) |
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