NORM.DIST in Collabora Office: Separate Normal Density From Cumulative Probability
Use Collabora NORM.DIST to calculate a left-tail probability or density, construct interval probabilities and verify standardization.
Verification status: See the evidence and test scope described in this guide. How formula examples are checked
Quick answer: =NORM.DIST(70;63;5;1) has independently expected result approximately 0.919243341. It is the probability at or below 70 under a normal model with mean 63 and standard deviation 5.
Syntax and required arguments
=NORM.DIST(Number; Mean; StDev; C)
Number is the evaluation point, Mean the model center and StDev its standard deviation. C=0 selects density and C=1 selects the cumulative distribution. All four arguments are required in the documented syntax. Supply the flag explicitly rather than assuming a default.
Use a positive standard deviation for the ordinary normal model. Mean, StDev and Number must be expressed in consistent measurement units. StDev is not variance: if variance is 25, the standard deviation is five.
A density is a curve height. A cumulative probability is area to the left. The two modes produce different quantities and should not share a generic “probability” column heading.
Example 1: compare the two modes
Put 70, 63, 5 in B2:B4, labeled Value, Mean and Standard deviation. In B6 use =NORM.DIST(B2;B3;B4;1), expected approximately 0.919243341. In B7 use the same arguments with final flag zero, expected approximately 0.029945493.
The first means about 91.9243% of the continuous model lies at or below 70. The second is the density at that point; it is not the probability of observing exactly 70. For a continuous normal variable, probability at a single exact point is zero.
The complementary upper-tail probability =1-B6 has independent target approximately 0.080756659. This direct subtraction is suitable for this moderate example; extreme upper tails can suffer numerical cancellation.
Example 2: calculate an interval
Under mean 100 and standard deviation 10, calculate:
=NORM.DIST(110;100;10;1)-NORM.DIST(90;100;10;1)
The independently expected result is approximately 0.682689492, the area between 90 and 110. Do not subtract two density values and interpret the difference as interval probability.
For a continuous distribution, including or excluding the exact endpoints does not change this model probability. That differs from discrete counts, where endpoint inclusion changes the sum.
Advanced application: standardize the input
The standardized value for 70 with mean 63 and standard deviation five is (70-63)/5, or 1.4. =NORM.S.DIST(1.4;1) has the same independent cumulative target as the original NORM.DIST call.
Densities require an additional scale factor: the standard-normal density at 1.4 is divided by five to obtain the original-unit density. Cumulative probabilities agree directly because they are dimensionless areas.
This distinction is useful when comparing datasets measured in different units. Rescaling measurement units changes density heights, while the probability of the corresponding interval remains the same.
Advanced application: density can exceed one
At the mean with standard deviation 0.1, =NORM.DIST(0;0;0.1;0) has independent target approximately 3.989422804. This is a legitimate density height, not a probability over 100%.
The curve’s total area remains one. Narrower distributions have taller peaks. A validation rule requiring every density cell to lie between zero and one would reject valid results.
Errors and troubleshooting
Validate a positive StDev, numeric arguments and a clear C flag. The dedicated source does not document every invalid-input error code, so no native error-code promise is made here. Inspect whether an input labeled “spread” actually contains variance instead of standard deviation.
A normal model is an assumption about the data. The function neither tests that assumption nor converts arbitrary data into normal observations. For very extreme tails, numerical stability needs testing in the actual deployment.
Availability and verification
The exact function is documented in Collabora Office 26.04 desktop help. Its source snapshot was retrieved on 2026-10-13 and hash-verified for this guide on October 15, 2026. Desktop documentation is not proof of Online or mobile support.
First introduced release and last functioning version are unknown. No native Collabora or WPS run occurred. The numerical values are independent mathematical expectations; they do not certify application-specific numerical tolerances, error codes or every edge case. Formulas use English names and semicolon separators.
The dedicated help identifies the namespace COM.MICROSOFT.NORM.DIST and says this function is outside the cited OpenFormula 1.3 standard. That is a format-namespace disclosure, not evidence of identical behavior in another product. Retain the exact dotted name when checking an imported workbook.