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Generating a normal distribution in Google Sheets is a simple process that can be done using the built-in function “NORMINV”. This function takes in the mean and standard deviation of the desired distribution, as well as a random number between 0 and 1, and produces a value that follows a standard normal distribution. By using this function multiple times and plotting the results, a user can easily generate a normal distribution curve in Google Sheets. This feature can be particularly useful for data analysis and statistical calculations.
Generate a Normal Distribution in Google Sheets
To generate a in Google Sheets, you can use the following formula:
=NORMINV(RAND(),$B$1,$B$2)
This formula assumes that the mean of the normal distribution is specified in cell B1 and the standard deviation is specified in cell B2.
You can then click and drag this formula down to as many cells as you’d like to generate a normal distribution with a particular sample size.
The following example shows how to use this formula to generate a normal distribution in Google Sheets.
Example: Generate a Normal Distribution in Google Sheets
First, we will choose a mean and a standard deviation to use for our normal distribution.
We will choose 0 and 1, respectively:
Next, we’ll type the following formula into cell A5 to generate the first value for our normal distribution:
=NORMINV(RAND(), $B$1, $B$2)
We can then click and drag this formula down to 20 more cells to create a normal distribution with a mean of 0, standard deviation of 1, and sample size of 20:
If you change the values for the mean and standard deviation in cells B1 and B2, respectively, then the values in cells A5:A24 will automatically update.
For example, suppose we change the mean to 30 and the standard deviation to 4:
The new values represent a normal distribution with a mean of 30, standard deviation of 4, and sample size of 20.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Google Sheets: