Cells, Excel absolute reference

Excel Tip. You can use F4 (Windows) or COMMAND+T (Macintosh) to toggle between cell reference types. Select the cell reference by double-clicking on it in the formula bar (or just put the insertion point cursor anywhere in the reference), then press F4 to cycle through the formats, in the sequence relative (e.g., A1), absolute (e.g., A 1), mixed (e.g.,A 1), mixed (e.g., A1). If you are typing a formula, you can use F4 after typing the cell reference Excel converts the reference to the immediate left of the insertion point. 

To assign a name to a cell reference, first select the cell or range. Then choose Define... from the Name submenu to display the Define Name dialog box (Figure 3-2). Excel will propose a name in the Name box, using text from the cell immediately above or to the left of the selected cell. The absolute reference of the selected cell will appear in the Refers To box. Edit the name if desired, then press OK. 

Alternatively, you can have Excel supply the worksheet name and cell reference. In the formula bar, type Activate the worksheet by clicking on it or by selecting it from the Window menu. The external reference to the worksheet will appear in the formula bar. Select the desired cell in the worksheet. The absolute reference to the cell will appear in the formula bar. 

Example In Microsoft Excel, copying is normally relative, and if you wish a cell reference to be absolute when copied, this is done by putting a dollar ( ) sign before and after the column reference letter, e.g. C 56. 

You can assign descriptive names to cells, such as Ka 1 and Ka2 to refer to the two acid dissociation constants of a diprotic acid. It is usually much easier to write and read formulas that contain descriptive names rather than cell addresses such as B 2 and C 2. Names can be used only to refer to individual absolute addresses. Names must start with a letter, may contain only letters, numbers, periods and underscores, and cannot be R, C, or possible cell addresses. Consequently, Cl and Ca 1 are not valid names, but Ca, caa3 and (in all current versions of Excel) Ka 1 are, since the rightmost column label is IV in future versions of Excel you might have to use Kaaland Kaa2 instead. 

Note the manner of identification of the cells containing the fixed parameters p and Nr. EXCEL-based absolute referencing has been used in this instruction. The use of the character as a left-multiplier of a column or row address fixes that address in any further reference. Since much of the worksheet is constructed by using commands, which repeat a set of calculations for different parameter values, the device enables fixed values to remain fixed. Thus, to repeat this formula with fixed parameter values in other cells of column B we need absolute referencing. It is good practice, too, to identify the column containing the radial data absolutely, thus A. ... 

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