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Statistical function

SLOPE

Returns the slope of the linear regression line through the points.

OccasionalDifficulty 1300 · ProficientUsage rank #203 of 520
Practice · 3 questions →

When to use it

The slope of the least-squares line through the points: how much y changes per unit of x. Note the order: known_y first, then known_x.

The shape of it

Syntax
=SLOPE(known_ys, known_xs)

Worked examples

  • The shared dataset

    =SLOPE({2,4,6,9},{1,2,3,4}) → 2.3

    y rises 2.3 per unit of x.

  • Sales per dollar

    =SLOPE(B2:B13,A2:A13) → 1.85

    Sales per dollar of marketing spend.

  • Trend per period

    =SLOPE(B2:B25,ROW(A2:A25)) → 412

    Trend per period when x is just the row number.

Worth knowing

  • INTERCEPT gives the other half of the line; FORECAST.LINEAR uses both.
  • Units of the slope are y units per x unit; write them down.
  • Elasticity: SLOPE of LN(y) on LN(x).

Where it goes wrong

  • #DIV/0! when x is constant.
  • y before x is the reverse of most textbooks; swapping them gives a very different number.

Related

AVERAGECOUNTCOUNTACOUNTIFCOUNTIFSMAX

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