This workbook contains examples of the trendlines

available in Excel. It also contains formulas that

demonstrate how to determine the values used in
the trendline equations.
Month X Actual Y Predicted Y TREND Function m b
Jan 1.0 14 (527.2553) (527.255) 300.9296 -813.1385
Feb 2.0 32 (211.2792) (211.279)
Mar 3.5 55 240.1152 240.115 y=mx +b
Apr 4.0 194 390.5800 390.580
May 5.2 322 751.6956 751.696
Jun 6.0 844 992.4393 992.439
Jul 7.0 755 1,293.3690 1,293.369
Aug 8.7 1,544 1,804.9493 1,804.949
Sep 9.0 2,044 1,895.2282 1,895.228
Oct 10.0 3,022 2,196.1579 2,196.158

Linear Trendline
3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000 f(x) = 300.929635656089 x − 813.13849692206

R² = 0.818503265055329
1,500

1,000

500

-
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
 R2
0.818503
X Actual Y Predicted Y c b
1.0 14 (744.1275) 1026.76019327 -691.4616
2.0 32 20.2343
3.5 55 594.8256 y = (c * LN(x)) - b
4.0 194 731.9303
5.2 322 1,001.3155
6.0 844 1,148.2457
7.0 755 1,306.5215
8.7 1,544 1,529.7524
9.0 2,044 1,564.5611
10.0 3,022 1,672.7411

Logarithmic Trendline
3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500 f(x) = 1026.76019326687 ln(x) − 691.46158773874

R² = 0.564482053072046
1,000

500

-
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
X Actual Y Predicted Y b c
1.0 14 6.9584 2.40469839549 2.063295
2.0 32 41.6835 7.871869
3.5 55 160.1022
4.0 194 220.7245
5.2 322 414.8107 y=cxb
6.0 844 585.1900
7.0 755 847.7811
8.7 1,544 1,430.0074
9.0 2,044 1,551.4696
10.0 3,022 1,998.8318

Power Trendline
3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000
f(x) = 7.87186875002777 x^2.40469839548511
1,500 R² = 0.929806264170449

1,000

500

-
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
X Actual Y Predicted Y GROWTH Function b c
1.0 14 19.5485 19.5485 0.592719 2.409815
2.0 32 36.4249 36.4249 11.1319
3.5 55 88.6177 88.6177
4.0 194 119.1868 119.1868
5.2 322 242.7312 242.7312
6.0 844 389.9935 389.9935 y=cebx
7.0 755 705.4595 705.4595
8.7 1,544 1,932.3110 1,932.3110
9.0 2,044 2,308.3488 2,308.3488
10.0 3,022 4,175.5733 4,175.5733

Exponential Trendline
3,500
f(x) = 11.1319005078758 exp( 0.592719203717677 x )
3,000 R² = 0.953559159422906

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

-
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
X Actual Y Predicted Y c3 c2 c1
1.0 14 (37.591) 6.55755849561 -56.7239034574 224.9672
2.0 32 69.760
3.5 55 167.934
4.0 194 206.231 y=(c3x3) + (c2x2) + (c1x) +b
5.2 322 352.321
6.0 844 518.436
7.0 755 838.803
8.7 1,544 1,776.215
9.0 2,044 2,004.790
10.0 3,022 2,929.101

3rd-Order Polynomial Trendline

3,500

3,000
f(x) = 6.557558495611 x³ − 56.72390345736 x² + 224.9672097439 x − 205.7390921709
R² = 0.979103386288528
2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

-
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 9.0 10.0
 b
-205.7391
Fitting a SIN curve using a 6th order polynomial

X Y Predicted Y 0.000863 -0.024361 0.24885 -1.087164 1.813887 -0.796572

1 0.841471 0.8464742652
1.25 0.948985 0.9425788023
1.5 0.997495 0.9928196443 1.5
1.75 0.983986 0.9843624899
2 0.909297 0.9133291427
2.25 0.778073 0.7829285234
1
2.5 0.598472 0.601739347 f(x) = 0.000862798 x⁶ − 0.024361 x⁵ + 0.24885 x⁴ − 1.0871643 x³ + 1.8138867
2.75 0.381661 0.3821444624 R² = 0.999982442732771
3 0.14112 0.1389168569
3.25 -0.108195 -0.112042676 0.5
3.5 -0.350783 -0.354816205
3.75 -0.571561 -0.574427667
4 -0.756802 -0.757650204
4.25 -0.894989 -0.893661845 0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
4.5 -0.97753 -0.974549517
4.75 -0.999293 -0.995661394
5 -0.958924 -0.955807584
-0.5
5.25 -0.858934 -0.857309149
5.5 -0.70554 -0.705895466
5.75 -0.508279 -0.510449921
6 -0.279415 -0.282603937 -1
6.25 -0.033179 -0.036179344
6.5 0.21512 0.21352092 The Trendline is such a good fit that you can't see it!
6.75 0.450044 0.4505737687
-1.5
7 0.656987 0.6594485914
7.25 0.823081 0.8261715421
7.5 0.938 0.939641491
7.75 0.994599 0.9930976405
8 0.989358 0.9857388041
8.25 0.922604 0.9244943505
 0.690972

− 1.0871643 x³ + 1.8138867 x² − 0.79657192 x + 0.6909719

5 6 7 8 9

an't see it!