LN function

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The LN function in Excel returns the natural logarithm (base e) of a number. The natural logarithm is the logarithm to the base e, where e is approximately equal to 2.71828.

Syntax

=LN(number)

Parameters

number: This is the positive real number for which you want to find the natural logarithm. The number must be greater than 0. If the number is less than or equal to 0, the function will return an error (#NUM!).

Return Value

The LN function returns the natural logarithm of the specified number.

Example Usage

Example 1: Basic Calculation

=LN(10)

Result: 2.302585

Explanation: The natural logarithm of 10 is approximately 2.302585.

Example 2: Using a Cell Reference

=LN(A1)

If cell A1 contains the number 20, the result will be the natural logarithm of 20.

Example 3: Natural Logarithm of a Small Number

=LN(0.5)

Result: -0.693147

Explanation: The natural logarithm of 0.5 is approximately -0.693147, which is a negative value because the logarithm of a number between 0 and 1 is negative.

Notes

The natural logarithm is useful in many mathematical and scientific calculations, such as solving exponential growth or decay problems, analyzing financial data, and working with mathematical models in physics or engineering.
If you need to compute a logarithm with a different base (e.g., base 10 or base 2), you can use the LOG function.

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