Formulas and Functions

If the column component of a cell reference is absolute ($A1): The row component
is relative and may change to retain its position relative to the formula cell. For
example, if a formula containing $A1 appears in C4 and you copy the formula and
paste it in C5 or in D5, the cell reference in C5 and D5 becomes $A2.
Here are ways to specify the absoluteness of cell reference components:
Type the cell reference using one of the conventions described above. m
Click the disclosure triangle of a cell reference and choose an option from the pop-up m
menu.
Select a cell reference and press Command-K to cycle through options. m
Using Operators in Formulas
Use operators in formulas to perform arithmetic operations and to compare values:
 Arithmetic operators perform arithmetic operations, such as addition and subtraction,
and return numerical results. See “The Arithmetic Operators” on page 28 to learn more.
 Comparison operators compare two values and return TRUE or FALSE. See “The
Comparison Operators” on page 29 to learn more.
The Arithmetic Operators
You can use arithmetic operators to perform arithmetic operations in formulas.
When you want to Use this arithmetic operator For example, if A2 contains 20
and B2 contains 2, the formula
Add two values + (plus sign) A2 + B2 returns 22.
Subtract one value from another
value
– (minus sign) A2 – B2 returns 18.
Multiply two values * (asterisk) A2 * B2 returns 40.
Divide one value by another
value
/ (forward slash) A2 / B2 returns 10.
Raise one value to the power of
another value
^ (caret) A2 ^ B2 returns 400.
Calculate a percentage % (percent sign) A2% returns 0.2, formatted for
display as 20%.
Using a string with an arithmetic operator returns an error. For example, 3 + “hello” is
not a correct arithmetic operation.
28 Chapter 1 Using Formulas in Tables