XL: MOD() Function Returns #NUM! Error Value

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This article was previously published under Q119083

For a Microsoft Excel 2001 or Microsoft Excel 98 version of this article, see 119083 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/119083/EN-US/ ) .

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SYMPTOMS

The MOD() function in Microsoft Excel may return a #NUM! error value instead of a valid remainder (modulus).

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CAUSE

The MOD() function returns the #NUM! error if the following condition is true:

('divisor' * 134217728) is less than or equal to 'number'

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WORKAROUND

If the above condition is true, and the MOD() function returns a #NUM! error, you can use the following formula to calculate the remainder (modulus) of two numbers:

=number-(INT(number/divisor)*divisor)

For example, instead of using this formula

=MOD(J13,K13)

use this formula:

=J13-(INT(J13/K13)*K13)

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MORE INFORMATION

In Microsoft Excel, the MOD() function returns the remainder (modulus) of dividing one number by another. The MOD() function accepts two arguments:

   Argument   Definition
   --------------------------------------
   Number     The number being divided
   Divisor    The number being divided by

If you want to calculate the remainder (modulus) of 22 divided by 5, you would use the following formula:

=MOD(22,5)

The result is 2 (22 divided by 5 leaves a remainder of 2).

If the divisor argument, multiplied by 134,217,728 (or 2 raised to the 27th power), is less than or equal to the number argument, the MOD() function returns a #NUM! error value.

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