Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Excel 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Excel, click here: Deriving Antilogs.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 9, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Excel allows you to use quite a few different trigonometric functions in your worksheets. If you are big into trig, you may wonder why there are no functions that derive antilogs.
An antilog in Excel is technically defined as the inverse of the LOG10 function. The LOG10 function means the logarithm in base 10 of a number. Given that definition, the antilog, or inverse log, of any number is simply 10 raised to that number. For instance, the base-10 log of 4 is 0.60206, and the base-10 antilog of 4 is 10,000 (10 raised to the fourth power). This also means that the base-10 antilog of the base-10 log of 4 is, again, 4. (Raising 10 to the 0.60206 power is 4.)
The following table shows how you would derive the antilogs of the different log functions within Excel.
| Base | Number | Log | Antilog (Power) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x | y | =LOG(x,y) | =x^y | |||
| e | y | =LN(y) | =e^y | |||
| 10 | y | =LOG10(y) | =10^y |
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2171) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Deriving Antilogs.
Best-Selling VBA Tutorial for Beginners Take your Excel knowledge to the next level. With a little background in VBA programming, you can go well beyond basic spreadsheets and functions. Use macros to reduce errors, save time, and integrate with other Microsoft applications. Fully updated for the latest version of Office 365. Check out Microsoft 365 Excel VBA Programming For Dummies today!
When applying trigonometry to the values in a worksheet, you may need to convert radians to degrees. This is done by ...
Discover MoreThe MODE function is used to determine the most frequently recurring value in a range. This tip explains how to use the ...
Discover MoreWant to round values so they are always even or odd? You can do it quickly and easily by using the EVEN and ODD worksheet ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments