Cells, Formulas and Ranges
- Cell: the basic unit of a spreadsheet, a rectangular box that can contain text, numbers, formulas, or other data. Cells are identified by a unique address consisting of a column letter and row number (e.g., A1, B2).
- Formula: an expression that calculates a value based on the values in other cells, which can include operators, functions, and cell references.
- Range: a group of cells selected and treated as a single unit, denoted by a colon between the starting and ending cell addresses (e.g., A1:A5).
Types of Cell Reference
- Relative reference: changes when the formula is copied to another cell. For example, entering “=A1” in cell B1 becomes “=B1” when copied to cell C1.
- Absolute reference: remains constant even when the formula is copied. For example, “=$A$1” in cell B1 stays the same when copied to cell C1.
- Mixed reference: a combination of relative and absolute referencing, using a dollar sign before either the column letter or row number (e.g., $A1, A$1). When copied, the absolute part stays constant while the relative part changes.
When to Use Each Type
- Relative: when you want the formula to change when copied to another cell, or to apply the same formula to multiple cells.
- Absolute: when you want the formula to remain constant, or to reference a specific cell that should not change.
- Mixed: when you want to keep a specific column or row fixed while the other part of the reference changes.
