How to use the CEILING function
What is the CEILING function?
The CEILING function rounds a number up to its nearest multiple.
The number is rounded down if both the number and multiple is negative. The number is rounded up if the number is negative and multiple is positive.
What is a multiple?
In mathematics a multiple is a number that can be divided evenly by another number with no remainder. For a number to be a multiple it must be divisible by x with 0 remainder.
For a number x, multiples of x are numbers like 2x, 3x, 4x and so on. For example, 20 is a multiple of 4 since 20/ 4 = 5 with no remainder.
How to round numbers?
Rounding is a method to simplify a number by reducing its digits while keeping its approximate value close to the original value.
There are a few common ways to round:
-
- Round to a set number of decimal places, rounding 2.13579 to 2 decimal places gives 2.14.
- Round up or down to the nearest integer, rounding up 2.3 gives 3. Rounding down 2.3 gives 2.
- Round to a set increment, rounding to the nearest 10 rounds 17 to 20.
- Round to significant figures, rounding 2.333 to 3 significant figures gives 2.33.
When rounding, look at the first digit after where you want to round. If it's 5 or more, round up. If less than 5, round down. Rounding makes numbers cleaner and easier to work with in many everyday situations, however, they may also cause rounding errors like rounded values can compound errors. Rounding measurements and constants may reduces precision. It is better to round numbers after performing calculations than before.
What is a decimal place?
A decimal place refers to each position held by a digit in a number. The first decimal place is the tenths place (1/10), the second is the hundreds place (1/100) and so on.
What is an integer?
An integer is a whole number that can be positive, negative, or zero, but not a fraction or decimal.
What is a "a set increment"?
A "set increment" is a fixed regular number interval that is used as the rounding value or unit.
- Rounding to the nearest 10 uses a set increment of 10. Valid rounded values are ..., -20, -10, 0, 10, 20, 30, ...
- Rounding to the nearest 0.5 uses a set increment of 0.5. Valid values are ..., 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, ...
What other Excel functions round numbers?
| ROUND | Rounds a number to a specified number of digits |
| ROUNDUP | Rounds a number up, away from zero |
| ROUNDDOWN | Rounds a number down, towards zero |
| MROUND | Rounds a number to the nearest multiple of a specified value |
| CEILING | Rounds a number up to its nearest multiple. |
| ODD | Returns number rounded up to the nearest odd integer. |
| EVEN | Rounds a number up to the nearest even whole number. |
| FIXED | Rounds a number to the specified number of decimals, lets you ignore comma separators. |
1. CEILING Function Syntax
CEILING(number, significance)
2. CEILING Function Arguments
| number | Required. The value you want to round. |
| significance | Required. The multiple to which you want to round. |
3. CEILING Function example
Formula in cell B3:
4. CEILING Function not working
Functions in 'Math and trigonometry' category
The CEILING function function is one of many functions in the 'Math and trigonometry' category.
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