What is the difference between relative and absolute references?

Answer 1

There are 3 types of cell references in formulas which are relative, absolute and mixed.

A1 is relative.

$A$1 is absolute.

A$1 and $A1 are both mixed.

When a formula is copied a relative address will change but an absolute address won't change. For mixed references, the part of the address that follows the $ does not change, but the other part will.

You use Absolute references when you want a cell reference to be permanent as the formula is copied, because you have a standard calculation that involves a fixed value. An example might be a list of different prices that are all being multiplied by the same tax rate. You would put the tax rate into a cell, let's say cell B1. In B3 you want to multiply a value in A3 by the value in B1 and then copy the formula down so it multiplies a value in A4 by the value in B1 and then A5 by B1 and so on. The initial formula could be:

=A3*$B$1

When it gets copied to the next cell below, it would become:

=A4*$B$1

Then it would become:

=A5*$B$1

So as you continue to copy it down, the $B$1 will not change because it is an absolute reference. The A3 becomes A4 and then A5 and so on because it is relative. The spreadsheet looks at the value in relation to where the formula has been copied to. In the first formula the A3 was one cell left of where the formula was. As it gets copied down, the A3 changes, but whichever formula you look at, the cell reference will be one cell left of the cell that the formula is in. So the formula in B10 would be have A10 in it, as A10 is one left of B10. In relation to the formula, the cell is always the same place from it, which is why it is called a relative reference. An absolute reference will never change, so it is absolutely the same no matter where you copy the formula.

Most formulas are either copied down or copied across. When you copy a formula down, the row part of the cell reference changes. Looking at the previous example, as the formula got copied down, A2 became A4 and then A5 and so on. The A is not changing, just the number of the row. So we could actually put the $B$1 in as B$1 and use that and our formula would still work, because like the A in the other cell reference, the B won't change. That is an example of a mixed range. For most cases, it is only necessary to lock the row or the column, which are mixed references, and not both which is an absolute reference. However it normally doesn't make a difference if you lock both parts and make it an absolute reference. The only time you need to lock both parts is when the same formula is being copied both down and across which is not very often.

The general rules when you want to fix a reference in a formula are as follows:

When copying down, lock the row (A$1).
When copying across, lock the column ($A1)
When copying both down and across lock both the row and the column( $A$1)

So in the majority of cases a mixed reference will do, though it usually is not a problem if you make it an absolute reference.









A relative reference means that something is measured or stated relative to something else. So to say it is warmer today is a relative reference to the fact that yesterday it was not so hot as today. But to say today it is 25°C is an absolute measurement of the temperature. Another example is if we run a three legged race (my right leg is tied to your left leg: relative to each other our speed is zero; relative to someone who we overtake we are going faster but relative to the ground, our absolute speed might be say 10mph. And of course Einstein realised that time is relative to how fast you are going! But that's for another answer!
An absolute cell reference refers to a particular, named cell, like C1, or A3. A relative cell reference refers to a cell a certain number of cells away. For example, 3 cells down and 1 cell to the right of the cell with the formula.

Use the dollar sign to indicate an absolute reference.

An example of a relative reference is C3.

An example of an absolue reference is $C$3.

Relative references change relative to the formula that includes the reference.

EXAMPLES:

If you copy a formula in cell D3 of =B3*C3 to cell D4, the formula will automatically change to =B4*C4, because the relative formula says to to multiply the contents of the cell two cells to the right with the contents of the cell located one cell to the right.

If you copy the formula in cell D3 of =$B$3*C3 to cell D4, the formula will show =$B$3*C4. This is helpful if you have a constant in cell B3 that you want to multiply with a variety of other numbers. You can copy the formula to any other cell and the formula always will point back to cell B3.
An absolute cell reference refers to a particular, named cell, like C2, or Bb A relative cell reference refers to a cell a certain number of cells away. For example, 3 cells down and 1 cell to the right of the cell with the formula
A relative cell reference refers to the distance from a cell.

An absolute cell reference would refer to the distance from cell A1.

So, for example, If you are at cell B5, and you move 3 cells relative along the columns, you would be at B8.
Good question! Open Excel and put some numbers in rows 1 and 2. Then look at the explanation below:

If you enter a formula in cell A3 and the formula is =A1+A2, Excel will add the contents of A1 and A2 and display the answer in cell A3. That's easy.

Now, if you copy the formula in cell A3 and paste it into B3, Excel will change the formula to =B1+B2. Why? Excel's interpretation of the formula is RELATIVE.

When Excel sees the formula of =A1+A2 sitting in cell A3, Excel says to itself: "Add the contents of the cell 2 rows up (A1), with the contents of the cell that is 1 row up (A2), and display the answer."

So when you paste the formula into cell B3, Excel uses the logic above and changes the formula to =B1+B2.

This is one of the reasons Excel is so powerful. Very often we need to find column totals for a very large number of columns (or rows) and certainly don't want to have to type in a formula each time!

However, what if you don't want Excel to automatically change the formula? What if we want the formulas in cells A3, B3, C3, etc. to always add A1 to the number in the 2nd row above? In other words, in cell B3 we want the formula to read =A1+B2, and in cell C3 we want the formula to read =A1+C2, and so on? What do we do? We tell Excel to use an ABSOLUTE reference. It's easy.

Type the first formula in A3 as follows: =$A1+A2. Notice the $ (dollar sign) before the A1. This dollar sign tells Excel: "Make the reference to the contents of cell A1 an ABSOLUTE reference and don't ever change it when the formula is copied and pasted."

So when you copy the formula in A3 and paste it into B3, Excel will keep A1 in the formula and will not change it. The same will be true when you paste the formula into C3, D3, and so on.
To make just the number of a cell address not change when it is copied, like the 3 in C3, you can make it into a mixed cell reference, like C$3. To ensure the full address does not change, you make it an absolute reference, like $C$3.
An absolute cell reference -locks specific cell reference and dollar symbols are used to achieve this by putting one each before the column letter and row number. A relative cell reference changes cell reference when it is copied and it uses no dollar signs.

A2 is relative.

$A$2 is absolute.

Answer 2

Relative references in Excel change when a formula is copied to different cells, adjusting its position relative to the new cell. Absolute references, on the other hand, remain fixed regardless of where the formula is copied. This allows specific cells to be referenced consistently in multiple calculations.

Answer 3

Absolute references don't change the point referenced. For example if a calculation uses cell a2 for input, no matter where you copy the calculation to, it will always refer to the value in a2 for input.

Relative reference refer to a cell location that can change. If the cell that the calculation is within is cell d5 and it refers to a value in b5, if the cell containing the calculation is copied to cell d6, then it will refer to the value in cell b6.

When first creating calculations within Excel they start as relative references, but can be change to absolute references by adding the dollar symbol "$" in front of both the letter and the number. If you only add the $ in front of one or the other, when the formula is copied only the one with the $ in front of it will not change (will be absolute), the other will remain relative.