If a formula with a relative reference is copied to a different cell, what happens to the reference?

If a formula with a relative reference is copied to a different cell, what happens to the reference?

• A. The reference remains the same.
• B. It becomes an absolute reference automatically.
• C. The reference changes to reflect the new location.
• D. It becomes a text string.

Answer: (C)

Relatively referenced formulas adjust their targets when you copy them to another cell. The address inside the formula is not fixed, so it moves by the same amount as the formula itself. If you copy a formula one row down, the references shift one row down; if you copy it one column to the right, the references shift one column to the right. For example, if a formula in a cell is =B1 and you copy that formula one row down, it becomes =B2. If you copy it two columns to the right and one row down, it becomes =D2. This behavior is what lets you fill cells with similar calculations without rewriting references. If you want a reference to stay pointing to the exact same cell, you would use absolute references like $B$1. There are also mixed references that lock either the row or the column, but those are separate from the fully relative case described here.

Relatively referenced formulas adjust their targets when you copy them to another cell. The address inside the formula is not fixed, so it moves by the same amount as the formula itself. If you copy a formula one row down, the references shift one row down; if you copy it one column to the right, the references shift one column to the right.

For example, if a formula in a cell is =B1 and you copy that formula one row down, it becomes =B2. If you copy it two columns to the right and one row down, it becomes =D2. This behavior is what lets you fill cells with similar calculations without rewriting references.

If you want a reference to stay pointing to the exact same cell, you would use absolute references like $B$1. There are also mixed references that lock either the row or the column, but those are separate from the fully relative case described here.