Tanjim Reza
For various numeric calculations, we need to find the natural logarithm of numbers. In this article, I will show you 4 practical examples to calculate natural logarithm in Excel.
What Is Natural Logarithm?
A natural logarithm is the logarithm of a number to the base of e. e is a constant number which is approximately 2.7128. It is a transcendental and irrational number. It is normally expressed as lnx or loge x. Keep in mind, that you can find a natural logarithm of positive numbers only.
LN Function in Excel: Brief Overview
The LN function is an Excel function that returns the natural logarithm of a number in Excel. It has mainly one argument only. That is- number. So, if you put a number inside the LN function, it would give you the natural logarithm of that number. But, remember, do not put zero or negative numbers in the argument. This will show you the #NUM! error. Moreover, do not put a non-numeric value in the argument of the function. It will show the #VALUE! error.
Read More: How to Calculate Log in Excel
Here, we have 4 types of numbers in our dataset. Each type is tried and explained in an individual sheet.
Go through the 4 useful applications of calculating the natural logarithm in Excel below. 👇
1. Calculating Natural Logarithm of a Positive Integer Number in Excel
If you want to calculate the natural logarithm of a positive integer number in Excel, go through the steps below. 👇
📌 Steps:
- First, click on the cell where you want to put the natural logarithm result.
- Subsequently, put an equal sign (=) and write LN. As a result, the LN function will be active. Now, refer to the B5 cell as you want to find the natural logarithm of this cell. So, the formula will look like this.
=LN(B5)
- Next, place your cursor at the bottom right corner of the result cell. Now, drag the fill handle below to copy the formula to all the cells below.
Thus, you can find the natural logarithm of all the positive integers. And, the result looks like this. 👇
Read More: How to Log Transform Data in ExcelÂ
2. Calculating Natural Logarithm of a Fractional Number
Besides, you can also find the natural logarithm of fraction numbers. Go through the steps below to accomplish this. 👇
📌 Steps:
- First, click on the cell where you want to put the natural logarithm result.
- Subsequently, put an equal sign (=) and write LN. As a result, the LN function will be active. Now, refer to the B5 cell as you want to find the natural logarithm of this cell. So, the formula will look like this.
=LN(B5)
- Next, place your cursor at the bottom right corner of the result cell. Now, drag the fill handle below to copy the formula to all the cells below.
Thus, you can find the natural logarithm of all the fraction numbers. And, the result looks like this. 👇
Read More: How to Calculate Antilog in Excel
3. Obtaining Natural Logarithm of a Negative Number in Excel
Now, you can not find a natural logarithm of a negative number. This will show you the #NUM! Error. Follow the steps below to test this. 👇
📌 Steps:
- First, click on the cell where you want to put the natural logarithm result.
- Subsequently, put an equal sign (=) and write LN. As a result, the LN function will be active. Now, refer to the B5 cell as you want to find the natural logarithm of this cell.
=LN(B5)
- Next, place your cursor at the bottom right corner of the result cell. Now, drag the fill handle below to copy the formula to all the cells below.
Thus, you can see the natural logarithm of all the negative numbers. And, the result looks like this. 👇
Read More: How to Do Inverse Log in ExcelÂ
4. Calculate Natural Logarithm of Zero
Just like the negative number, you can not find the natural logarithm of zeros too. This will also show you the #NUM! error. Follow the steps below to test this. 👇
📌 Steps:
- First, click on the cell where you want to put the natural logarithm result.
- Subsequently, put an equal sign (=) and write LN. As a result, the LN function will be active. Now, refer to the B5 cell as you want to find the natural logarithm of this cell.
=LN(B5)
- Next, place your cursor at the bottom right corner of the result cell. Now, drag the fill handle below to copy the formula to all the cells below.
Thus, you can see the natural logarithm of zeros. And, the result looks like this. 👇
Read More: Â How to Calculate Log Base 2 in ExcelÂ
Quick Notes
- LN function is the inverse of the EXP function.
- The LN function returns you the natural logarithm of a number. Similarly, the LOG function returns a logarithm of a number to any base. Moreover, the LOG10 function returns the logarithm of a number to the base 10.
Download Practice Workbook
Here, you can download and practice from our practice workbook for free.
Conclusion
So, in this article, I have shown you 4 ideal examples to calculate natural logarithm in Excel. Follow these examples to accomplish your desired result. I hope you find this article helpful and informative. If you have any further queries or recommendations, please feel free to contact me.
