Different type differentiate absolute and relative cell addressing
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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.
The three types of absolute references
You will generally 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, 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$1 in our formula. Because each formula is using the same tax rate, we want that reference to remain constant when the formula is copied and filled to other cells in column D.
Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our example, we'll select cell D3.
Selecting cell D3
Enter the formula to calculate the desired value. In our example, we'll type =(B3*C3)*$E$1.
Entering the formula
Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will calculate, and the result will display in the cell.
Locate the fill handle in the bottom-right corner of the desired cell. In our example, we'll locate the fill handle for cell D3.
Locating the fill handle
Click, hold, and drag the fill handle over the cells you want to fill: cells D4:D13 in our example.
Dragging the fill handle
Release the mouse. The formula will be copied to the selected cells with an absolute reference, and the values will be calculated in each cell.
The copied formulas and calculated values
You can double-click the filled cells to check their formulas for accuracy. The absolute reference should be the same for each cell, while the other references are relative to the cell's row.
Checking the formulas for accuracy
Be sure to include the dollar sign ($) 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.
The result of an incorrect absolute reference
Using cell references with multiple worksheets
Excel allows you to refer to any cell on any worksheet, which can be especially helpful if you want to reference a specific value from one worksheet to another. To do this, you'll simply need to begin the cell reference with the worksheet name followed by an exclamation point (!). For example, if you wanted to reference cell A1 on Sheet1, its cell reference would be Sheet1!A1.
Note that if a worksheet name contains a space, you will need to include single quotation marks (' ') around the name. For example, if you wanted to reference cell A1 on a worksheet named July Budget, its cell reference would be 'July Budget'!A1.
To reference cells across worksheets:
In our example below, we'll refer to a cell with a calculated value between two worksheets. This will allow us to use the exact same value on two different worksheets without rewriting the formula or copying data between worksheets.
Locate the cell you want to reference, and note its worksheet. In our example, we want to reference cell E14 on the Menu Order worksheet.
Cell E14
Navigate to the desired worksheet. In our example, we'll select the Catering Invoice worksheet.
Navigating to Sheet2
The selected worksheet will appear.
Locate and select the cell where you want the value to appear. In our example, we'll select cell B2.
Selecting cell B2
Type the equals sign (=), the sheet name followed by an exclamation point (!), and the cell address. In our example, we'll type ='Menu Order'!E14.
Referencing a cell
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.
The three types of absolute references
You will generally 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, 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$1 in our formula. Because each formula is using the same tax rate, we want that reference to remain constant when the formula is copied and filled to other cells in column D.
Select the cell that will contain the formula. In our example, we'll select cell D3.
Selecting cell D3
Enter the formula to calculate the desired value. In our example, we'll type =(B3*C3)*$E$1.
Entering the formula
Press Enter on your keyboard. The formula will calculate, and the result will display in the cell.
Locate the fill handle in the bottom-right corner of the desired cell. In our example, we'll locate the fill handle for cell D3.
Locating the fill handle
Click, hold, and drag the fill handle over the cells you want to fill: cells D4:D13 in our example.
Dragging the fill handle
Release the mouse. The formula will be copied to the selected cells with an absolute reference, and the values will be calculated in each cell.
The copied formulas and calculated values
You can double-click the filled cells to check their formulas for accuracy. The absolute reference should be the same for each cell, while the other references are relative to the cell's row.
Checking the formulas for accuracy
Be sure to include the dollar sign ($) 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.
The result of an incorrect absolute reference
Using cell references with multiple worksheets
Excel allows you to refer to any cell on any worksheet, which can be especially helpful if you want to reference a specific value from one worksheet to another. To do this, you'll simply need to begin the cell reference with the worksheet name followed by an exclamation point (!). For example, if you wanted to reference cell A1 on Sheet1, its cell reference would be Sheet1!A1.
Note that if a worksheet name contains a space, you will need to include single quotation marks (' ') around the name. For example, if you wanted to reference cell A1 on a worksheet named July Budget, its cell reference would be 'July Budget'!A1.
To reference cells across worksheets:
In our example below, we'll refer to a cell with a calculated value between two worksheets. This will allow us to use the exact same value on two different worksheets without rewriting the formula or copying data between worksheets.
Locate the cell you want to reference, and note its worksheet. In our example, we want to reference cell E14 on the Menu Order worksheet.
Cell E14
Navigate to the desired worksheet. In our example, we'll select the Catering Invoice worksheet.
Navigating to Sheet2
The selected worksheet will appear.
Locate and select the cell where you want the value to appear. In our example, we'll select cell B2.
Selecting cell B2
Type the equals sign (=), the sheet name followed by an exclamation point (!), and the cell address. In our example, we'll type ='Menu Order'!E14.
Referencing a cell
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