What is ERFC function in Excel?

The ERFC function is one of the Engineering functions of Excel.

It Returns the complementary error function.

We can find this function in Engineering category of the insert function Tab.

How to use ERFC function in excel

1. Click on an empty cell (like F5).

2. Click on the fx icon (or press shift+F3).

3. In the insert function tab you will see all functions.

4. Select ENGINEERING category.

5. Select ERFC function.

6. Then select ok.

7. In the function arguments Tab you will see ERFC function.

8. X section is the lower bound for integrating ERF.

9. You will see the results in the formula result section.

Examples of ERFC function in Excel

1. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of 2, use the following formula: =ERFC(2)
2. To calculate the complementary error function for a range of values in cells A1:A5, use the following formula: =ERFC(A1:A5)
3. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of 0.5 and display the result as a percentage, use the following formula: =ERFC(0.5)*100&"%"
4. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of 1 and subtract it from 1, effectively calculating the error function, use the following formula: =1-ERFC(1)
5. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of -1 and display the absolute value of the result, use the following formula: =ABS(ERFC(-1))
6. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of 3/4 and divide it by 2, use the following formula: =ERFC(3/4)/2
7. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of 2 and round the result to 2 decimal places, use the following formula: =ROUND(ERFC(2), 2)
8. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of 1/2 and multiply it by 10, use the following formula: =ERFC(1/2)*10
9. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of -2 and apply conditional formatting to highlight results greater than 0.05, use the following formula in conditional formatting: =ERFC(-2)>0.05
10. To calculate the complementary error function for a value of 0 and display a custom error message if the result is less than or equal to 0, use the following formula: =IF(ERFC(0)<=0, "Error: Value out of range", ERFC(0))

Excel’s ERFC Function: What It Does and How to Use It

The ERFC function in Excel calculates the complementary error function for a given value. The complementary error function is equal to 1 minus the error function and is commonly used in statistics and engineering to calculate probabilities for normal distributions.

For example, to calculate the complementary error function for a value of 2, use the following formula: =ERFC(2)

This will return a value of approximately 0.0047.

Syntax and Usage of the ERFC Function in Excel

The syntax for the ERFC function in Excel is ERFC(x), where x is the value for which to calculate the complementary error function. The function can accept both positive and negative values as input.

For example, to calculate the complementary error function for a value of -1.5, use the following formula: =ERFC(-1.5)

This will return a value of approximately 1.9668.

Understanding the Relationship Between Complementary Error Function and Error Function

The complementary error function is defined as 1 minus the error function. The error function itself is used to calculate the probability that a random variable will fall within a certain range of values for a normal distribution.

For example, to calculate the error function for a value of 2, use the following formula: =ERF(2)

This will return a value of approximately 0.9953. To calculate the complementary error function for the same value, we can subtract the result from 1 using the following formula: =1-ERF(2)

This will return a value of approximately 0.0047.

The Domain and Range of the ERFC Function in Excel

The domain of the ERFC function is all real numbers, and the range is between 0 and 2. The function provides precise results up to 15 decimal places.

For example, to calculate the complementary error function for a value of 0.5, use the following formula: =ERFC(0.5)

This will return a value of approximately 0.4795.

Common Uses of the ERFC Function in Statistics and Engineering

The ERFC function is commonly used in statistics and engineering to calculate probabilities for normal distributions. It can be used to calculate the probability that a random variable will fall within a certain range of values given a mean and standard deviation.

For example, to calculate the probability of a value being greater than 2, given a mean of 5 and standard deviation of 2, we could use the following formula: =ERFC((2-5)/(2*SQRT(2)))

This will return a value of approximately 0.0228, indicating that there is a relatively low probability of the value being greater than 2.

Limitations of Using the ERFC Function with Non-Normal Distributions

The ERFC function in Excel is only appropriate for normal distributions and should not be used with non-normal distributions. Attempting to use the function with non-normal distributions may result in inaccurate probabilities.

For example, trying to calculate the complementary error function for a value in a Poisson distribution will yield an incorrect result.

Accuracy of the ERFC Function in Excel: What You Need to Know

The ERFC function in Excel provides highly accurate results, with precision up to 15 decimal places. However, as with any numerical method, there may be some degree of rounding error or approximation involved in the calculation.

For example, to calculate the complementary error function for a value of 3, use the following formula: =ERFC(3)

This will return a value of approximately 0.0000222, which is highly precise.

Handling Negative Values in the ERFC Function in Excel

The ERFC function in Excel can accept both positive and negative values as input. If a negative value is provided, the function will always return a positive result.

For example, to calculate the complementary error function for a value of -2, use the following formula: =ERFC(-2)

This will return a value of approximately 1.99532.

Formatting the Output of the ERFC Function as a Percentage in Excel

To format the output of the ERFC function as a percentage, you can use the following formula: =ERFC(x)*100&"%"

Here, x represents the value for which you want to calculate the complementary error function. The resulting value will be multiplied by 100 and displayed as a percentage with the “%” symbol.

For example, to calculate the complementary error function for a value of 1/2 and display the result as a percentage, use the following formula: =ERFC(1/2)*100&"%"

This will return a value of approximately 43.468% as a formatted percentage.

ERF vs ERFC Functions in Excel: Differences and Similarities

The ERF function in Excel calculates the error function, while the ERFC function calculates the complementary error function (which is equal to 1 minus the error function). Both functions are used to calculate probabilities for normal distributions.

For example, to calculate the probability of a value being between -3 and 3 for a normal distribution with mean 0 and standard deviation 1, we can use either the ERF or ERFC function as follows:

=ERF(3/ SQRT(2))-ERF(-3/ SQRT(2))

or

=ERFC(3/ SQRT(2))/2

Both formulas will return the same result of approximately 0.9973.

Appropriate Use Cases for ERFC Function in Excel

The ERFC function in Excel is appropriate for calculating the complementary error function of a normal distribution. This function can be used to calculate probabilities for values that fall outside the standard deviation of a normal distribution.

For example, suppose we want to calculate the probability of a value being greater than 2 for a normal distribution with mean 0 and standard deviation 1. We can use the following formula:

=ERFC(2/ SQRT(2))/2

This will return a value of approximately 0.02275, which represents the probability of a value being greater than 2 standard deviations from the mean.

Complex Numbers and the ERFC Function in Excel: What You Should Know

The ERFC function in Excel does not support complex numbers. If you attempt to use a complex number as input for the ERFC function, you will receive an error message.

For example, trying to calculate the complementary error function for a complex number such as 3 + 2i will result in an error.

Testing the Accuracy of the ERFC Function in Excel

To test the accuracy of the ERFC function in Excel, we can compare its output with known values from a normal distribution table or other statistical software.

For example, suppose we want to calculate the probability of a value being between -1.5 and 1.5 for a normal distribution with mean 0 and standard deviation 1. We can use the following formula:

=ERF(1.5/ SQRT(2))-ERF(-1.5/ SQRT(2))

This will return a value of approximately 0.86638, which represents the probability of a value being within 1.5 standard deviations of the mean. We can compare this value with the corresponding value from a normal distribution table to verify the accuracy of the ERFC function.

Common Errors to Avoid When Working with the ERFC Function in Excel

One common error to avoid when working with the ERFC function in Excel is using non-normal distributions as input. This can lead to inaccurate probabilities and incorrect results.

For example, trying to calculate the complementary error function for a value in an exponential distribution will yield an incorrect result.

Another common error to avoid is attempting to use complex numbers as input for the ERFC function, which is not supported.

Combining the ERFC Function with Other Statistical Functions in Excel

The ERFC function in Excel can be combined with other statistical functions to perform more complex calculations. For example, we can use the following formula to calculate the probability of a value being between -1.5 and 1.5 for a normal distribution with mean 2 and standard deviation 0.5:

=NORMSDIST(1.5/0.5)-NORMSDIST(-1.5/0.5)

Here, we’ve used the NORMSDIST function to calculate the standard normal cumulative distribution for the given values, which can then be subtracted to find the desired probability. We could also use the ERFC function in place of the NORMSDIST function to calculate the complementary error function instead.

Calculating Probabilities for Continuous Random Variables with the ERFC Function in Excel

The ERFC function in Excel is commonly used to calculate probabilities for continuous random variables that follow a normal distribution. By calculating the complementary error function, we can determine the probability of a value falling outside a certain range.

For example, suppose we want to calculate the probability of a value being less than 1.5 for a normal distribution with mean 0 and standard deviation 1. We can use the following formula:

=ERFC(1.5/ SQRT(2))/2

This will return a value of approximately 0.06681, which represents the probability of a value being less than 1.5 standard deviations from the mean.

The Importance of Argument Order for the ERFC Function in Excel

The argument order for the ERFC function in Excel is important because it determines the sign of the result. If the input value is positive, the function will return a value between 0 and 1. If the input value is negative, the function will return a value greater than 1.

For example, suppose we want to calculate the complementary error function for a value of -1.5. If we use the following formula:

=ERFC(-1.5)

We will receive a value of approximately 2.19768, which is greater than 1. However, if we enter the value as a positive number instead using the following formula:

=ERFC(1.5)

We will receive a value of approximately 0.00135, which is between 0 and 1.

Limitations of Using the ERFC Function to Calculate Probabilities for Discrete Random Variables

The ERFC function in Excel is not appropriate for calculating probabilities for discrete random variables, such as those that follow a binomial or Poisson distribution. These types of distributions have specific probability mass functions that cannot be accurately approximated using the complementary error function.

For example, trying to use the ERFC function to calculate the probability of getting exactly 3 heads in 5 coin tosses would be inappropriate, as this follows a binomial distribution with a specific probability mass function.

Troubleshooting Issues with the ERFC Function in Excel

One common issue when using the ERFC function in Excel is receiving an error message if the input value is not a valid number. This can occur if the input value is a text string or if the cell reference contains an error value such as #DIV/0!.

Another issue can occur if the input value is outside the range of values that can be accurately calculated by the function. In this case, the result may be rounded or inaccurate.

Resources for Learning More About the ERFC Function in Excel

There are many resources available for learning more about the ERFC function in Excel and how it can be used to calculate probabilities for normal distributions. Some recommended resources include the Microsoft Excel documentation, online tutorials and courses, and statistical textbooks. Additionally, consulting with a statistician or data analyst can provide valuable insights into the appropriate use cases and limitations of the ERFC function.

ERFC related functions 

• Use ERF function to calculate and returns the error function.
• Use ERF.PRECISE function to return the error function.
• Use ERFC.PRECISE function to return the complementary error function.