What is T.DIST function in Excel?
T.DIST function is one of Statistical functions in Microsoft Excel that returns the Student’s left-tailed t-distribution. The t-distribution is used in the hypothesis testing of small sample data sets. Use this function in place of a table of critical values for the t-distribution.
Syntax of T.DIST function
T.DIST(x,deg_freedom, cumulative)
The T.DIST function syntax has the following arguments:
- X: The numeric value at which to evaluate the distribution
- Deg_freedom: An integer indicating the number of degrees of freedom.
- Cumulative: A logical value that determines the form of the function. If cumulative is TRUE, T.DIST returns the cumulative distribution function; if FALSE, it returns the probability density function.
Explanation of T.DIST function
- If any argument is nonnumeric, T.DIST returns the #VALUE! error value.
- If deg_freedom < 1, T.DIST returns an error value. Deg_freedom needs to be at least 1.
Example of T.DIST function
Steps to follow:
1. Open a new Excel worksheet.
2. Copy data in the following table below and paste it in cell A1
Note: For formulas to show results, select them, press F2 key on your keyboard and then press Enter.
You can adjust the column widths to see all the data, if need be.
| Formula | Description | Result |
| =T.DIST(60,1,TRUE) | Student’s left-tailed t-distribution for 60, returned as the cumulative distribution function, using 1 degree of freedom. | 0.99469533 |
| =T.DIST(8,3,FALSE) | Student’s left-tailed t-distribution for 8, returned as the probability density function, using 3 degrees of freedom. | 0.00073691 |