Which notation locks the column but not the row in a cell reference?

Which notation locks the column but not the row in a cell reference?

• A. $A1
• B. $A$1
• C. A$1
• D. A1

Answer: (A)

Mixed cell references let you fix one part of a reference while letting the other part move. To lock the column but not the row, put a dollar sign before the column letter and leave the row number without a dollar sign. This keeps the column constant when you copy the formula across columns, while the row can change when you copy the formula down to other rows. For example, the reference would stay anchored to that column as you fill down, but the row number would advance. This is useful when you want all calculations to refer to the same column but to adjust to different rows. The other patterns either fix both parts (never changing) or fix the row or neither part (allowing both to move).

Mixed cell references let you fix one part of a reference while letting the other part move. To lock the column but not the row, put a dollar sign before the column letter and leave the row number without a dollar sign. This keeps the column constant when you copy the formula across columns, while the row can change when you copy the formula down to other rows. For example, the reference would stay anchored to that column as you fill down, but the row number would advance. This is useful when you want all calculations to refer to the same column but to adjust to different rows. The other patterns either fix both parts (never changing) or fix the row or neither part (allowing both to move).