CONVERT
=CONVERT(value, "from_unit", "to_unit")
Convert between measurement units. Kg to lb, miles to km, Fahrenheit to Celsius, joules to BTU, and 100+ more. Skip the lookup tables and manual math.
CONVERT Complete Guide →Engineering Functions
Unit conversion, base conversion, bitwise operations, complex numbers, and scientific functions. The technical toolkit for engineers, scientists, and data specialists.
Engineering functions handle the calculations that pure math functions don't cover. Convert kilograms to pounds without a lookup table. Turn decimal numbers into binary or hexadecimal for programming work. Perform bitwise AND/OR/XOR for low-level data manipulation. Work with complex numbers, Bessel functions, and error functions for scientific analysis. This is Excel's specialist category.
The essential four
DEC2BIN / DEC2HEX / DEC2OCT
=DEC2BIN(255) → "11111111"
Convert decimal numbers to binary, hexadecimal, or octal. Essential for programming, network calculations, permission masks, and color codes.
Base Conversion Guide →BITAND / BITOR / BITXOR
=BITAND(60, 13) → 12
Bitwise operations on integers. Used in permission systems, network subnet calculations, flag masks, and low-level data encoding.
Bitwise Operations Guide →COMPLEX / IMSUM / IMPRODUCT
=COMPLEX(3, 4) → "3+4i"
Work with complex numbers directly in Excel. Build complex numbers, add them, multiply them, get magnitude and argument. Essential for signal processing and electrical engineering.
Complex Numbers Guide →Browse by sub-group
Unit Conversion
1 function · 100+ units
Weight, length, temperature, volume, energy, power, pressure, magnetism, speed — all in one function.
Base Conversion
12 functions
Convert between decimal, binary, hexadecimal, and octal representations of numbers.
Bitwise Operations
6 functions
AND, OR, XOR, left shift, right shift — the low-level bit manipulation toolkit.
Complex Numbers
18 functions
Create, add, subtract, multiply, divide complex numbers. Get real/imaginary parts, magnitude, argument.
Bessel Functions
4 functions
Bessel functions of the first and second kind, modified Bessel functions. Used in physics and signal processing.
Error & Special Functions
6 functions
Error function, complementary error function, gamma function. For statistics, probability, and physics work.
Common patterns
- Metric to imperial weight:
=CONVERT(A1, "kg", "lbm") - Temperature (F to C):
=CONVERT(A1, "F", "C") - Hex color to decimal RGB:
=HEX2DEC(MID(A1, 2, 2))gets red channel from "#FF00AA" - Network subnet mask AND:
=BITAND(ip_dec, mask_dec)to find network address - Complex impedance magnitude:
=IMABS(COMPLEX(resistance, reactance)) - Gaussian error function:
=ERF(x)for probability integrals
Frequently asked questions
What units does CONVERT actually support?
Weight (g, kg, lbm, ozm), distance (m, mi, ft, in, ly), time (s, min, hr, day, yr), pressure (Pa, atm, mmHg, psi), force (N, lbf, dyn), energy (J, cal, BTU, kWh), power (W, hp), magnetism (T, ga), temperature (C, F, K), volume (L, gal, oz), area (m², ha, acre), speed, and information (bit, byte, KB, MB). Full list in our CONVERT guide.
Why does DEC2BIN return an error for large numbers?
DEC2BIN maxes out at 511 (10 bits). For larger numbers, use =BASE(A1, 2) which supports much bigger values. Same pattern applies to DEC2HEX and DEC2OCT — use BASE for larger values.
Are complex number functions used outside engineering?
Occasionally in advanced statistics, finance (option pricing with complex integrals), and signal processing. If you're not doing math with imaginary numbers, you can safely ignore this sub-group.
Why would I use bitwise operations in Excel?
Network engineers use them for subnet calculations. IT admins use them for permission masks (e.g., Linux file permissions). Developers use them for testing individual flag bits in status registers. Rare in general business use.
Do engineering functions work in Google Sheets?
Most do — CONVERT, DEC2BIN, HEX2DEC, BITAND, BITOR all work identically. Bessel and complex number functions are more limited in Sheets. Check specific function pages for compatibility notes.
Scientific formulas, generated for you.
Ask the Add-in "convert this column from psi to bar" or "compute the magnitude of these complex numbers" — get the exact formula.
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