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ABS
ABS converts a number to its non-negative magnitude. It is common when you care about the size of a difference, not its direction — for example budget variance.
Excel
=ABS(A2)Google Sheets
=ABS(A2)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Value |
| -42 |
=ABS(A2)→42
Try it with your data
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How it works
- 1A2 holds the number.
- 2ABS removes the sign.
- 3-42 becomes 42.