AutoFill for formula copying in Google Sheets - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

Column A has numbers. Cell B1 has a formula multiplying A1 by 2. Cells B2 and B3 are empty, ready for AutoFill.

Cell	Value
A1	5
A2	10
A3	15
B1	=A1*2
B2
B3

Formula Trace

=A1*2

Step 1: A1

Step 2: 5 * 2

Step 3: AutoFill copies formula down to B2 as =A2*2

Step 4: AutoFill copies formula down to B3 as =A3*2

Cell Reference Map

   A    B
1  5   ->=A1*2
2 10   ->=A2*2
3 15   ->=A3*2

Column B formulas refer to the adjacent cells in column A. AutoFill adjusts the row number automatically.

Result

   A    B
1  5   10
2 10   20
3 15   30

After AutoFill, column B shows each value in column A multiplied by 2, with formulas adjusted for each row.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What value will appear in cell B2 after AutoFill?

A 20

B 10

C 5

D 30

Key Result

AutoFill copies formulas adjusting relative cell references to match the new row or column.