Page 288 - Trackpad IT-402_Class-IX
P. 288
CELL REFERENCING
We know that a cell address is a combination of a column name and a row number such as A5, B12, H23, etc. Using a
cell address in a formula or a function is known as a cell reference.
For example, writing =H10 in cell D6 will refer to the value in cell H10, i.e., the value of D6 will be the value placed in
cell H10. If any change in the value in cell H10 occurs, then the value in cell D6 will be automatically updated.
There are three types of cell referencing which are explained below.
Relative Referencing
Whenever a formula or function is copied to some other cell, the address in the formula or function changes relative
to the location where it is copied. This is known as relative referencing. In a spreadsheet, cell referencing by default is
relative cell referencing. For example, when a formula is copied downwards or upwards in the cell, then the change in
the row number relative to the location will occur. Similarly, if a formula is copied horizontally either to the left side or
right side, then the change in the column name with respect to the position will occur.
Let us study the given worksheet. A formula for calculating the Profit or Loss is written in cell F9 as =E9-D9. If we copy
this formula two cells up (i.e., cell F7), then the row number will decrease by 2 and the new formula in cell F7 will be
=E7-D7. Similarly, if we copy this formula to two cells down in the same column (i.e., cell F11), then the formula will
have an increase of 2 in the row reference and the new formula in cell F11 will be =E11-D11.
Absolute Referencing
Sometimes, we do not want the address in the formula to change with respect to the location and we need to fix a cell.
Thus, if we copy the formula anywhere across a worksheet, the cell address in the formula does not change. This fixing
of a cell in a formula/function so that its location does not change with respect to the location where it is copied, then
this type of referencing is known as absolute referencing. The dollar sign ($) is used in front of a column name and a
row number to make it an absolute cell reference, like $A$10, $F$12, etc.
288 Trackpad Information Technology-IX

