Copying a Formula

A formula can be copied to another cell in the same way as text or numbers

1. Click in D11.
2. Click the Copy button.
3. Click in D12.
4. Click on the Paste button (and ignore the smart tag if it appears). 

Another way of copying is to use the Auto Fill handle:

 

1. Click in D12.
2. Move the cursor to the bottom right-hand corner of the cell. The cursor shape will change to a small black plus (+) sign.
3. Hold down the mouse button, drag to cell D14 and then release the button. 

The formula in D11 was =B11+C11. When that was copied and pasted into D12 it became =B12+C12. This is because Excel, unless instructed otherwise, works with relative cell references. It thinks about where cells

are in relation to the cell in which the formula is entered.

This means that Excel thinks of that particular formula as take the contents of the cell two columns to the left of the cell containing the formula then add the contents of the cell one column to the left of the cell containing the formula