The QUARTILE function in Google Sheets is a powerful tool for statistical analysis, used to determine the quartiles of a dataset. Quartiles are values that divide a dataset into four equal parts, helping to assess the distribution and spread of data points. This function is particularly useful for professionals who need to summarize data and interpret trends effectively.

Syntax

QUARTILE(data, quart)

• data: A range of numeric values for which the quartile will be calculated.
• quart: An integer representing the quartile to return: 0 for the minimum, 1 for the first quartile, 2 for the median, 3 for the third quartile, and 4 for the maximum.

Example #1

QUARTILE(A1:A10, 1)

This function call calculates the first quartile of the numeric values in the range A1 to A10, providing insight into the lower 25% of the data. For example, if A1:A10 contains the numbers 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100, the result would be 32.5.

Example #2

QUARTILE(A1:A10, 2)

Using this function retrieves the median (the second quartile) of the values in A1:A10. With the same data set, the result would be 55, indicating that half of the data points fall below this value.

Example #3

QUARTILE(A1:A10, 3)

This function determines the third quartile of the data range A1:A10, indicating the point below which 75% of the data falls. Given the previous example, the result would be 77.5.

Error handling

• NUM! This error occurs if the “quart” argument is less than 0 or greater than 4, which are invalid quartile values.
• DIV/0! This error is shown when the “data” argument is empty, meaning there are no values to compute the quartiles from.
• VALUE! This error arises when the “data” range contains non-numeric values, which cannot be processed for quartile calculations.

Conclusion

In summary, the QUARTILE function in Google Sheets allows users to perform critical statistical analyses by identifying quartile values within datasets. It provides valuable insights into data distribution and is a vital tool for data analysis, helping users to identify trends and make informed decisions based on their data.