Newbie Question - Subtraction Formula Question

[[email protected]]

I am completely unfamiliar with Excel and have constructed a simple
spreadsheet which has two columns of figures.

The L.H. column contains Central Heating Gas meter readings each month
and the R.H. column is the difference between successive amounts in
the L.H. column, thus showing the amount of gas consumed each month.

The rows are the months ...Jan,Feb...etc.


At present I obtain each months consumption by physically subtracting
the last entry in the L.H. colums from the preceding entry in that
column and entering the result in the R.H. column.

I am , of course , aware of the basic subtraction formula " =A1-A2 ".

However , how do I get this formula to automatically adjust for the
descending cell names which will be necessary here as I procede each
month from A1, A2 , A3 ...etc. so that this subtraction can be
automated?

B.N.

[Dave O]

Hi, BN-
Welcome! One of Excel's fundamental features performs that task for
you. If you'll copy your formula cell (on the menu, click >Edit
>Copy), move the cell pointer to the next line, and click >Edit >Paste, the formula from the original cell will paste into the new cell *and* adjust for cell references.

Another way to perform this is to land the cell pointer on the formula
cell. Notice the cell is outlined in black with a little square in the
lower right corner. When you roll the mouse slowly over that square
the cursor will change from a white cross to black crosshairs: right
click, and drag the mouse downward (or across, but not in this case)
and the original cell copies into the new cells, adjusting cell
references all the while.

[Miguel Zapico]

Hi,

If you copy the cell and paste it in the cell below, Excel will do the work
for you, changing the "=A1-A2" to "=A2-A3".
Alternatively, you can click on the cell, and double click on the little
black square on the lower right corner of the cell, and it will drop down the
calculation all along the rows where you have data in the A column.

Hope this helps,
Miguel.

"[email protected]" wrote:

> I am completely unfamiliar with Excel and have constructed a simple
> spreadsheet which has two columns of figures.
>
> The L.H. column contains Central Heating Gas meter readings each month
> and the R.H. column is the difference between successive amounts in
> the L.H. column, thus showing the amount of gas consumed each month.
>
> The rows are the months ...Jan,Feb...etc.
>
>
> At present I obtain each months consumption by physically subtracting
> the last entry in the L.H. colums from the preceding entry in that
> column and entering the result in the R.H. column.
>
> I am , of course , aware of the basic subtraction formula " =A1-A2 ".
>
> However , how do I get this formula to automatically adjust for the
> descending cell names which will be necessary here as I procede each
> month from A1, A2 , A3 ...etc. so that this subtraction can be
> automated?
>
> B.N.
>

[[email protected]]

Thanks to both posters - will try that out.

B.N.