Relative reference is the default cell reference in Excel. It is simply the combination of column name and row number without any dollar ($) sign. When you copy the formula from one cell to another the relative cell address changes depending on the relative position of the column and row.
Steps to Use Relative Reference:
- We write the formula in any cell and press enter so that it is calculated. In this example, we write the formula(= B2 + A2) in cell C2 and press enter to calculate the formula.
- Now click on the Fill handle at the corner of cell which contains the formula(C2).
- Drag the Fill handle up to the cells you want to fill. In our example, we will drag it till cell C10.
- Now we can see that the addition operation is performed between the cell A2 and B2, A3 and B3 and so on.
- You can double-click on any cell to check that the operation is performed in between which cells.