The following article introduces you to the INTERCEPT function - one of the functions in the statistical function group is very popular in Excel.
Description: The function returns the point at which the line will intersect the y-axis by using existing x and y values. Use the function when you want to determine the value of a dependent variable when the independent variable is 0.
Syntax: INTERCEPT (known_y's, known_x's)
Inside:
- known_y's : A set of dependent data.
- known_x's : A set of independent data.
Attention:
- The value of the argument must be a number, name, array or reference containing numbers.
- If the argument is a reference array containing text values or logic -> these values are ignored, but the value 0 is still counted.
- If known_y's , known_x's have a different number of data points or contain no data points -> the function returns the # N / A error value .
- The intersection equation of the regression line is:
[a = overline y - boverline x]
Inside:
[b = frac {{sum {left ({x - overline x} right) left ({y - overline y} right)}}} {{sum {{{left ({x - overline x} right)} ^ 2 }}}}]
And x and y are the models AVERAGE (known_x's) and AVERAGE (known_y's).
- The underlying algorithm used in INTERCEPT and SLOPE is different from the underlying algorithm used in the LINEST function .
- In case the function returns multiple values -> # DIV / 0 error message
For example:
Find the point where a line will intersect the y-axis with the data in the data table below:
- In the cell to calculate enter the formula : = INTERCEPT (C6: C10, D6: D10)
- Press Enter -> toss the degree of the data point that a line intersects the y-axis:
- Where the number of data points of the two arrays x, y is different -> the function returns the # N / A error value
Here, the array y consists of 5 elements, but the array x has only 3 elements -> the number of elements is different.
- Case 1 of 2 empty array -> function returns error value # N / A
Above are instructions and some specific examples when using INTERCEPT function in Excel.
Good luck!