The Roundup function in Excel is a math and trigonometry function that allows you to round a number up to a specified number of decimal places or digits. It is useful for rounding numbers to the nearest whole number or rounding to a specific decimal place, such as rounding up to the nearest dollar or cent. The Roundup function is denoted by the syntax ROUNDUP(number, num_digits).
To use the Roundup function, you first need to specify the number you want to round up. This can be any number, including a cell reference or a formula that returns a number. For example, you might have a column of prices in your spreadsheet and want to round them up to the nearest dollar.
Next, you need to specify the number of decimal places or digits you want to round the number up to. This is done using the num_digits argument. If you want to round up to the nearest whole number, you can set num_digits to 0. If you want to round up to a specific decimal place, such as the nearest cent, you can set num_digits to -2.
There are a few important things to keep in mind when using the Roundup function. First, the Roundup function always rounds up, even if the number is already rounded to the specified decimal place or digit. For example, if you round the number 2.5 up to the nearest whole number using Roundup, the result will be 3, even though 2.5 is already rounded to the nearest whole number.
Second, the Roundup function will return an error if the num_digits argument is a negative number that is greater than the number of digits in the number being rounded. For example, if you try to round the number 123.45 up to the nearest hundredth using Roundup, the result will be an error, because the number 123.45 only has two decimal places.
To avoid this error, you can use the IFERROR function in combination with the Roundup function. The IFERROR function allows you to specify a value to return if the Roundup function returns an error. For example, you could use the following formula to round the number 123.45 up to the nearest hundredth without generating an error:
=IFERROR(ROUNDUP(123.45, -2), 123.45)
This formula will return 123.46 if the Roundup function does not return an error, and 123.45 if it does.
The Roundup function can also be used in combination with other functions and formulas in Excel. For example, you might use the Roundup function to round up the result of a formula that calculates the total cost of an order. To do this, you would include the Roundup function as part of the formula, like this:
=ROUNDUP(A1B1C1, -2)
In this example, A1, B1, and C1 are cell references that contain the quantity, unit price, and tax rate for the order, respectively. The Roundup function will round up the result of the formula to the nearest cent.
The Roundup function can also be used with cell references that contain text or formulas that return text. In these cases, the Roundup function will return an error unless the cell reference or formula is wrapped in the VALUE function. The VALUE function converts text to a number, allowing the Roundup function to work correctly.
For example, suppose you have a cell that contains the text “123.45” and you want to round it up to the nearest whole number using the Roundup function. You would use the following formula:
=ROUNDUP(VALUE(“123.45”), 0)