ABS and MOD in Excel - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does the ABS function do in Excel?

The ABS function returns the absolute value of a number. It changes negative numbers to positive and leaves positive numbers unchanged.

beginner

How does the MOD function work in Excel?

The MOD function returns the remainder after dividing one number by another. For example, MOD(7, 3) returns 1 because 7 divided by 3 leaves a remainder of 1.

beginner

Write the formula to get the absolute value of cell A1.

Use =ABS(A1) to get the absolute value of the number in cell A1.

beginner

What is the result of =MOD(10, 4)?

The result is 2 because 10 divided by 4 equals 2 with a remainder of 2.

intermediate

Why would you use ABS and MOD together in a spreadsheet?

You might use ABS to make sure numbers are positive before using MOD to find remainders, especially if you want consistent results regardless of sign.

What does =ABS(-15) return?

A Error

B -15

C 0

D 15

ABS returns the positive value of a number, so ABS(-15) is 15.

What is the result of =MOD(9, 4)?

A 0

B 2

C 1

D 3

9 divided by 4 is 2 with a remainder of 1, so MOD(9,4) returns 1.

Which formula gives the remainder when 20 is divided by 6?

A =MOD(20,6)

B =20-6

C =ABS(20/6)

D =20%6

MOD(20,6) returns the remainder of 20 divided by 6.

If A1 contains -8, what does =ABS(A1) return?

A 8

B -8

C 0

D Error

ABS converts negative numbers to positive, so ABS(-8) is 8.

What does =MOD(15, 5) return?

A 3

B 0

C 5

D 1

15 divided by 5 has no remainder, so MOD(15,5) returns 0.

Explain how the ABS function works and give a real-life example of when you might use it in a spreadsheet.

Think about when you want to ignore negative signs.

Describe the MOD function and how it can help in tasks like scheduling or grouping items.

Think about dividing things into groups or repeating sequences.