Copying a formula into multiple cells in Excel can save a lot of time, especially when working with large spreadsheets. In this tutorial, we will explore two methods to accomplish this task.
First, let’s assume that we have a spreadsheet with columns X, Y, and Z. To enter a formula into the Z column, we start with an equal sign and click on X. For example, we can create a formula by typing “=X^2+Y^3” into cell C4. To copy this formula into the other nine cells, we can use a simple trick. Move the cursor to the bottom right corner of the cell until it changes to a solid plus sign, then click and drag it down until we reach the bottom of the cells that we want to copy.
As we scroll down, we can see that the formula bar automatically updates to refer to different cells in each row. This is a quick and efficient way of copying a formula into multiple cells.
Secondly, suppose we have another number, say 10, that we want to use in our formula, but we always want it to be the same. We can accomplish this by using an absolute reference instead of a relative reference. For instance, if we want to add the number 10 to our formula above, we can type “+$B$1” after “Y^3”. The dollar signs before the row and column references make it an absolute reference.
Now, when we copy this formula down to other cells, it will always refer to cell B1 for the number 10. To copy the formula, we can use the same trick as before by dragging it down from the bottom right corner of the cell. Once we have copied the formula, we can double-click on any cell to highlight the cells that it uses. This way, we can ensure that the formula refers to the correct cells.
In conclusion, copying formulas in Excel can save us a lot of time when working with large spreadsheets. We can use the trick of dragging the formula down from the bottom right corner of the cell to quickly copy it into multiple cells. Additionally, we can use absolute references to ensure that certain values remain constant throughout the spreadsheet.