title: How to create a random number following a lognormal distribution in excel?
body: <p>If I want a set of data with a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 5, as an example, it can be calculated with a normal distribution using this formula:</p>
  
  <pre><code>NORMINV(RAND(), Mean, Stdev)
  NORMINV(RAND(), 10, 5)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This results in numbers ranging from roughly -5 to  to 25 with a frequency distribution that looks normal with most values centerred around the mean.</p>
  
  <p>How to get a similar set of numbers but have them follow a lognormal distribution, one where there is a higher probability of larger numbers and no probability of going below zero?</p>
  
  <p>I would like to do this using Excel without addons.</p>
  
  <p>I tried:</p>
  
  <pre><code> LOGINV(RAND(), Mean, Stdev)
   LOGINV(RAND(), 10, 5)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>.. but this creates very large numbers (to the power of 20, etc) that look meaningless.</p>