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6D - ICT - Mat - Relative & Absolute

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33 views

6D - ICT - Mat - Relative & Absolute

Uploaded by

rjmalimath
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Relative and Absolute Cell References

There are two types of cell references: relative and absolute. Relative and absolute
references behave differently when copied and filled to other cells.
Relative references change when a formula is copied to another cell.
Absolute references, on the other hand, remain constant no matter where they are copied.

Optional: Download our practice workbook.

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. Instead of creating a new formula for each row, we can create a single formula in cell D4
and then copy it to the other rows. We'll use relative references so the formula calculates the total
for each item correctly.

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1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our example, we'll select cell D4.

2. Enter the formula to calculate the desired value. In our example, we'll type =B4*C4.

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 bottom-right corner of the desired cell. In our example, we'll
locate the fill handle for cell D4.

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5. Click and drag the fill handle over the cells you want to fill. In our example, we'll select
cells D5:D13.

6. Release the mouse. The formula will be copied to the selected cells with relative
references, displaying the result in each cell.

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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 ($) before the
column and row. If it precedes the column or row (but not both), it's known as a mixed reference.

You will use the relative (A2) and absolute ($A$2) formats in most formulas. Relative references
are used less frequently.
When writing a formula in Microsoft Excel, you can press the F4 key on your keyboard to switch
between relative, absolute, and mixed cell references, as shown in the video below. This is an easy
way to quickly insert an absolute reference.

To create and copy a formula using absolute references:


In the example below, we're going to use cell E2 (which contains the tax rate at 7.5%) to calculate
the sales tax for each item in column D. To make sure the reference to the tax rate stays
constant—even when the formula is copied and filled to other cells—we'll need to make cell $E$2
an absolute reference.
1. Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our example, we'll select cell D4.

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2. Enter the formula to calculate the desired value. In our example, we'll type =(B4*C4)*$E$2,
making $E$2 an absolute reference.

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 bottom-right corner of the desired cell. In our example, we'll locate
the fill handle for cell D4.

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5. Click and drag the fill handle over the cells you want to fill (cells D5: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.

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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.

Note :- 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 Excel to interpret it
as a relative reference, producing an incorrect result when copied to other cells.

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Today’s Challenge!
1. Open our practice workbook.

2. Click the Paper Goods tab in the bottom-left of the workbook.

3. In cell D4, enter a formula that multiplies the unit price in B4, the quantity in C4, and the tax
rate in E2. Make sure to use an absolute cell reference for the tax rate because it will be the
same in every cell.

4. Use the fill handle to copy the formula you just created to cells D5:D12.

5. Change the tax rate in cell E2 to 6.5%. Notice that all of your cells have updated. When you're
finished, your workbook should look like this:

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