PI
Math & Trig
Returns the value of pi (3.14159265358979...).
Translations
EnglishPI
FrenchPI
SpanishPI
GermanPI
ItalianPI.GRECO
PortuguesePI
DutchPI
PolishPI
RussianПИ
TurkishPİ
CzechPI
HungarianPI
SwedishPI
DanishPI
FinnishPII
Syntax
PI()Examples
=PI()3.14159...
Value of pi
=PI()*A1^2Circle area
Area with radius in A1
=2*PI()*A1Circumference
Circumference with radius in A1
Tips & Best Practices
- •Returns 15 significant digits
- •Essential for circle calculations
- •Use with RADIANS for angle conversions
Common Mistakes
- •Adding parentheses incorrectly or passing an argument to PI - it takes no arguments at all and must be written as PI() with empty parentheses
- •Manually typing an approximation of pi (like 3.14 or 3.14159) instead of using PI(), which loses precision compared to Excel's built-in, more accurate constant
- •Forgetting that PI() itself doesn't perform any trigonometric conversion - it's just the constant, and functions like RADIANS or SIN/COS need to be applied separately around it
Related Functions
RADIANSConverts degrees to radians, often used alongside PI() in trigonometric or geometric calculations.SINFrequently combined with PI() when working with angles expressed as fractions or multiples of pi.DEGREESConverts radians back to degrees, the counterpart to RADIANS in formulas that also reference PI().Frequently Asked Questions
Does PI take any arguments?
No, it must be entered as PI() with empty parentheses - passing anything inside raises an error.
Is it better to use PI() or type 3.14159 manually?
PI() is more precise, using more decimal places than most people would type manually, which matters for calculations sensitive to rounding.
How do I calculate the circumference of a circle using PI?
Multiply the diameter by PI(), like =diameter*PI(), or 2*radius*PI() if you're starting from the radius.
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