Conditional formatting basics in Google Sheets - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Sample Data

This data shows test scores for 5 students in cells A2 to A6.

Cell	Value
A1	Score
A2	85
A3	72
A4	90
A5	65
A6	78

Formula Trace

=A2>75

Step 1: A2

Step 2: 85 > 75

Cell Reference Map

    A   
1 |Score|
2 | 85  | <-- referenced by formula
3 | 72  |
4 | 90  |
5 | 65  |
6 | 78  |

The formula references cell A2 to check if the score is greater than 75.

Result

    A   
1 |Score|
2 | 85  | <- Cell highlighted (condition TRUE)
3 | 72  |
4 | 90  | <- Cell highlighted (condition TRUE)
5 | 65  |
6 | 78  | <- Cell highlighted (condition TRUE)

Cells with scores greater than 75 (A2, A4, A6) are highlighted by conditional formatting.

Sheet Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does the formula =A2>75 check for in cell A2?

A If the score in A2 is less than 75

B If the score in A2 is greater than 75

C If the score in A2 equals 75

D If the score in A2 is empty

Key Result

Conditional formatting formulas return TRUE to highlight cells based on conditions.