RAND
What Does It Do?
This function creates a random number >=0 but <1.
The number will change each time the worksheet recalculates, or when F9 is pressed.
Syntax
=RAND()
Formatting
No special formatting is needed.
| Random greater than or equal to 0 but less than 1. | ||||
| 0.556910022 | =RAND() | |||
| Random greater than or equal to 0 but less than 10. | ||||
| 5.449554695 | =RAND()*10 | |||
| Random between 5 and 10. | ||||
| 5.90726586 | =RAND()*(10-5)+5 | |||
Example:
The following examples show how the =RAND() function has been used to randomly sort list of information.
A list of cards has been entered in column C, and =RAND() in column D. By clicking inside the random numbers and then using Data, Sort or the Sort buttonthe cards will be shuffled.
The same technique has been used to generate a list of six winning lottery numbers.
| Card | Random | Lottery | Random |
| Clubs 8 | 0.70937 | 29 | 0.333267746 |
| Clubs 6 | 0.64028 | 34 | 0.55535302 |
| Diamond 9 | 0.82884 | 30 | 0.626895556 |
| Spades 13 | 0.40911 | 41 | 0.886633083 |
| Clubs 9 | 0.30076 | 40 | 0.624961289 |
| Diamond 7 | 0.86538 | 37 | 0.634377453 |
| Diamond 4 | 0.61923 | 26 | 0.166082942 |
| Clubs 10 | 0.76469 | 32 | 0.475269416 |
| Spades 3 | 0.51927 | 21 | 0.147765887 |
| Hearts 6 | 0.93713 | 19 | 0.553693125 |
| Hearts 4 | 0.59568 | 7 | 0.403497179 |
| Diamond 8 | 0.4573 | 10 | 0.522104725 |
| Hearts 11 | 0.18812 | 16 | 0.457846259 |
| Clubs 3 | 0.29231 | 8 | 0.217580443 |
| Clubs 13 | 0.11548 | 48 | 0.442283773 |
| Spades 5 | 0.88058 | 43 | 0.185719167 |
| Diamond 3 | 0.54331 | 44 | 0.028993 |
| Spades 2 | 0.32842 | 4 | 0.398961669 |
| Diamond 6 | 0.366 | 3 | 0.251119209 |
| Clubs 5 | 0.45062 | 45 | 0.041993056 |
| Spades 1 | 0.74288 | 47 | 0.979361027 |
| Clubs 12 | 0.21185 | 49 | 0.156508997 |
| Hearts 10 | 0.71431 | 35 | 0.210071609 |
| Hearts 13 | 0.54189 | 27 | 0.964704542 |
| Spades 7 | 0.42839 | 1 | 0.826629451 |
| Spades 6 | 0.05174 | 13 | 0.600607356 |
| Diamond 12 | 0.38008 | 31 | 0.19678082 |
| Hearts 3 | 0.42339 | 5 | 0.324459787 |
| Hearts 5 | 0.46911 | 18 | 0.516573208 |
| Hearts 8 | 0.1413 | 39 | 0.833408989 |
| Hearts 1 | 0.66706 | 23 | 0.832560674 |
| Diamond 13 | 0.91756 | 12 | 0.771446916 |
| Hearts 9 | 0.61752 | 11 | 0.61612564 |
| Clubs 4 | 0.50897 | 20 | 0.724047017 |
| Diamond 5 | 0.78468 | 33 | 0.71568198 |
| Spades 4 | 0.76871 | 42 | 0.323963117 |
| Clubs 1 | 0.85245 | 24 | 0.196100607 |
| Spades 8 | 0.75612 | 2 | 0.838187446 |
| Hearts 7 | 0.88956 | 14 | 0.092310925 |
| Diamond 1 | 0.76458 | 25 | 0.436693727 |
| Clubs 2 | 0.42135 | 9 | 0.725186947 |
| Hearts 2 | 0.07656 | 38 | 0.897467664 |
| Diamond 11 | 0.43683 | 15 | 0.508245959 |
| Clubs 7 | 0.83782 | 28 | 0.823989804 |
| Spades 12 | 0.0467 | 17 | 0.106449153 |
| Spades 10 | 0.56815 | 6 | 0.626420886 |
| Clubs 11 | 0.52515 | 22 | 0.793481019 |
| Diamond 2 | 0.27635 | 46 | 0.426226454 |
| Diamond 10 | 0.21402 | 36 | 0.457713312 |
| Spades 9 | 0.7237 | ||
| Spades 11 | 0.77519 | ||
| Hearts 12 | 0.00574 |