Relative and Absolute cell references in MS Excel
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Relative references
By default, all cell references are relative references.
When copied across multiple cells, they change based on the relative position
of rows and columns. For example, if you copy the formula =A1+B1 from row 1 to row 2, the
formula will become =A2+B2. Relative
references are especially convenient whenever you need to repeat the same calculation across
multiple rows or columns.
To create and copy a formula using relative references:
In the following example, we want to create a
formula that will multiply each item's price by
the quantity.
Rather than create a new formula for each row, we can create a single formula
in cell D2 and
then copy it to the other rows. We'll use relative references so the formula
correctly calculates the total for each item.
1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our
example, we'll select cell D2.
2. Enter the formula to calculate the desired value. In our
example, we'll type =B2*C2.
3. Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will be calculated, and the result will be displayed in the
cell.
4. Locate the fill handle in
the lower-right corner of the desired cell. In our example, we'll locate the
fill handle for cell D2.
5. Click, hold, and drag the fill handle over the cells you wish to fill. In our example,
we'll select cells D3:D12.
6. Release the mouse. The formula will be copied to the selected cells with relative references and the values will be calculated in each
cell.
You can double-click the filled cells to
check their formulas for accuracy. The relative cell references should be
different for each cell, depending on its row.
Absolute references:
There may be times when you do not want a
cell reference to change when filling cells. Unlike relative references, absolute references do
not change when copied or filled. You can use an absolute reference to keep a
row and/or column constant.
An absolute reference is designated in a
formula by the addition of a dollar sign ($).
It can precede the column reference, the row reference, or both.
You will usually use the $A$2 format
when creating formulas that contain absolute references. The other two formats
are used much less frequently.
When writing a formula in Microsoft Excel,
you can press the F4 key on your keyboard to switch between
relative and absolute cell references. This is an easy way to quickly insert an
absolute reference.
To create and copy a formula using absolute references:
In our example, we'll use the 7.5% sales tax
rate in cell E1 to
calculate the sales tax for all items in column
D.
We'll need to use the absolute cell reference $E$1 in
our formula. Because each formula is using the same tax rate, we want that
reference to remain constant when the formula is copied and filled to other
cells in column D.
1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our
example, we'll select cell D3.
2. Enter the formula to calculate the desired value. In our
example, we'll type =(B3*C3)*$E$1.
3. Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will calculate,
and the result will display in the cell.
4. Locate the fill handle in
the lower-right corner of the desired cell. In our example, we'll locate the
fill handle for cell D3.
5. Click, hold, and drag the fill handle over the cells you wish to fill, cells D4:D13 in our example.
6. Release the mouse. The formula will be copied to the selected cells with an absolute reference, and the values will be calculated in each
cell.
You can double-click the filled cells to
check their formulas for accuracy. The absolute reference should be the same
for each cell, while the other references are relative to the cell's row.
Be sure to include the dollar sign ($) whenever
you're making an absolute reference across multiple cells. The dollar signs
were omitted in the example below. This caused the spreadsheet to interpret it
as a relative reference, producing an incorrect result when copied to other
cells.