Variable to indicate another cell in same row?

**c.coyle** · 06-29-2011, 06:28 PM

Hello. I'm new here and new to Excel or any spreadsheet for that matter. I hope the following makes sense:

My spreadsheet has two columns, A and B, each 400 rows deep. I want a third column, C, to show the result of A/B in each row. I don't want to do 400 formulas like "=A4/B4" "=A5/B5" . . . "=A400/B400". What I'm looking for is one formula for all 400 rows with some sort of variable (if that's the right term) that gets me to:

"=(A in the same row / B in the same row)"

I'd be grateful for your help

Chris

**Paul** · 06-29-2011, 06:34 PM

Hi Chris, welcome to the forum.

In Excel, you can enter one formula in a cell, and depending on how you write the formula it can automatically update when copied down, up, left or right.

There are four ways to reference a cell:
Absolute: $A$1
Row Absolute: A$1
Column Absolute: $A1
Relative: A1

In C1 if you type =A1/B1 you get an answer. You can then hover your mouse over the lower right corner of C1, at which point your cursor becomes a plus sign. This is called the Fill Handle. If you click down on your mouse and then drag your mouse downward it will start filling that formula into C2, C3, C4, etc. But, the formula will automatically update to =A2/B2, =A3/B3, etc.

You don't have to manually enter all those formulas.

Try Google-ing for some of these terms for more information: excel relative reference, excel absolute reference, excel fill handle.

Hope that helps!

**Darren Bartrup** · 06-29-2011, 06:34 PM

Hi & welcome to the board. New here myself.

You can have the 400 formula at a click of a button (well, almost).

Enter your first formula in column C - =A4/B4.

Now with the cell selected you'll see a thick border around it, with a little square in the bottom right hand corner. Double click the little square and your formula will auto-fill down to the bottom of your data range in column B.
This will only work if you put it in the column next to your formula, and it will only fill down to the first empty cell in column B.

Hope that made sense, and hope it helps