where the coordinates of the two points are given in columns B through E. Distance is the square root of the change in x squared plus the change in y squared, where two points are given in the form (x1, y1) and (x2, y2). The distance formula is an example of the Pythagorean Theorem applied, where the change in x and the change in y correspond to the two sides of a right triangle, and the hypotenuse is the distance being computed. In Excel, the distance formula can be written with the exponent operator (^) and the SQRT function like this: Following Excel’s order of operations, the change in x and the change in y is calculated, then squared, and the two results are added together and delivered to the SQRT function, which returns the square root of the sum as a final result: The POWER function can also be used instead of the exponent operator (^) like this: with the same result.
Dave Bruns
Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.
