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Spreadsheets and Data Processing
Quick questions on Relative and absolute references explained: O-Level Computing
5short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are relative references?Show answer
A normal reference such as B2 is relative. The spreadsheet really stores it as a direction, like "one cell to the left, same row". When you copy the formula to another cell, that direction is reapplied from the new position, so the reference adjusts:
What are absolute references?Show answer
Sometimes you want a reference to point at the same cell no matter where the formula is copied, for example a tax rate or an exchange rate stored once. You make a reference absolute by putting a dollar sign before the column and the row:
What is predicting a copy?Show answer
To work out what a copied formula becomes, apply the copy movement to each relative reference, and leave each absolute reference unchanged:
What is q1?Show answer
State what the dollar signs do in the reference 4. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain when you would use an absolute reference rather than a relative one. [2 marks]
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