Difference between Relative and Absolute Cell Reference in Excel

Relative cell reference in Excel is used when a formula is copied to other cells, the cell references are adjusted relative to the new location. For example, if a formula refers to cell A1 and it is copied to cell B1, the reference is automatically updated to B1. This is useful for applying the same formula to multiple cells or ranges.

On the other hand, absolute cell reference in Excel is used when you want a cell reference to remain constant regardless of where the formula is copied. This is denoted by a dollar sign ($) before the column letter and row number (e.g., $A$1). Absolute references do not change when copied to other cells, making them useful for referencing fixed values or cells that should not change.

In summary, the main difference between relative and absolute cell reference in Excel is that relative references adjust based on the new location when copied, while absolute references remain constant.