# Simple Excel Question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810 "2004-10-18T12:48:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hippopotamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f0a364/32.png) [@Hippopotamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippopotamus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/1 "2004-10-18T12:48:05Z")
I use Excel to run a very simple gradebook for my classes. What I wish to know is this: is there a way to add a constant to every numerical value in a column? Example: Say for an assignment I have the grades listed in a column, let’s call it A as this: A 1 82 2 55 3 77 4 74 5 81 7 18 I wish to apply a modifier of +18 (A7) to every value in that column. So A1 will be 100, A2 will be 73 and so on. Is this possible or am I doomed to run into a circular reference problem? ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/2 "2004-10-18T12:50:25Z")
In column B, just put **=A7+18**. Copy that down all the way. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/3 "2004-10-18T12:51:40Z")
Oops, read that wrong, put **=A1+$A$7** instead of what I said above. ---
**Author:** ![Hippopotamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f0a364/32.png) [@Hippopotamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippopotamus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/4 "2004-10-18T13:05:40Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > Oops, read that wrong, put **=A1+$A$7** instead of what I said above. Thanks for the reply. I tried that but this simply changes the value of A1 to 18. I know how to apply a constant, referenced in a cell, to an entire column by making a new column for the adjusted number. I just want to skip the creation of the new column if at all possible. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/5 "2004-10-18T13:07:19Z")
A quick hijack. What do the $ signs do in the equation? How does =A1+$A$7 differ from =A1+A7? ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/6 "2004-10-18T13:18:01Z")
> [@Hippopotamus](#): > > I just want to skip the creation of the new column if at all possible. I don’t believe there’s any way to do that, precisely because of the circular reference problem (as you correctly suspected). The best you can do is put the new values in another column, then copy that new column, and “paste values” back into column A (a regular paste gets you into trouble, so you need a “paste… special.”) ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/7 "2004-10-18T13:22:28Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > A quick hijack. What do the $ signs do in the equation? How does =A1+$A$7 differ from =A1+A7? Say you’ve put this formula into B1: “=A1+A7”. Now, you copy that formula into cells B2 through B5. The formula in B2 will be “=A2+A8”, the formula in B3 will be “=A3+A9”, and so on. The cell references are “relative,” so they change as you move down. Now, say you’ve put this formula into B1: “=A1+$A$7”. Now, you copy that formula into cells B2 through B5. The formula in B2 will be “=A2+$A$7”, the formula in B3 will be “=A3+$A$7”, and so on. The “$A$7” reference is “absolute,” and doesn’t change when it’s copied elsewhere. Does that help? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/8 "2004-10-18T13:26:59Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > A quick hijack. What do the $ signs do in the equation? How does =A1+$A$7 differ from =A1+A7? Usually, if you copy a formula from one cell to another, the cell references are changed. So if you have =A1+A7 in cell B1, and you copy it to cell C8, the formula becomes =B8+B14 . Putting a dollar sign before the column letter or line number fixes the reference, so if you copy =A1+$A$7 from cell B1 to cell C8, the formula becomes =B8+$A$7 . ---
**Author:** ![Frank\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Frank\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank_2)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/9 "2004-10-18T17:41:32Z")
It’s pretty simple to raise a number of cells by the same amount. Find a cell with the modifier value (18, in your case) Copy that cell. Now highlight the range of cells you wish to modify. Don’t hit paste. I repeat, don’t hit paste. Either right click or go under the ‘edit’ drop down and choose **paste special**. Leave the paste method (it probably says ‘all’) and under the operation section, choose **add**. This will add the cell you copied to the range you selected. Keep in mind, this will replace the original values with the new calculated values. A1 will become 100 and the 82 will be lost. If you need to keep the original value you’ll need to create a new column with a formula, as **interface2x** suggested. ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/10 "2004-10-18T18:20:01Z")
> [@Hippopotamus](#): > > I know how to apply a constant, referenced in a cell, to an entire column by making a new column for the adjusted number. I just want to skip the creation of the new column if at all possible. You can get around creating a new column in some circumstances. Depends exactly what you’re doing: For example, if you wanted to SUM your cells, each of which wants 18 added to it, then you could do: =SUM(A1:A5)+A7\*COUNT(A1:A5) Rather than making a new column and SUMing that. But you can’t do stuff like include the formula =A1+5 in cell A1, as you’ve discovered. ---
**Author:** ![Hippopotamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f0a364/32.png) [@Hippopotamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippopotamus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/11 "2004-10-18T18:48:20Z")
Some good help and suggestions all around. And I learned some new things. Thanks, Dopers! ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-excel-question/269810/12 "2004-10-19T09:54:50Z")
> [@Early Out](#): > > Say you’ve put this formula into B1: “=A1+A7”. Now, you copy that formula into cells B2 through B5. The formula in B2 will be “=A2+A8”, the formula in B3 will be “=A3+A9”, and so on. The cell references are “relative,” so they change as you move down. > > Does that help? Yes it does, thank you.