On the "Retail" worksheet, display arrows that indicate the cell values that are dependent on the value in C4.

Question

Explanation

Excel: Trace Dependents

Overall Goal

The task asks you to use Excel's Trace Dependents feature to visually display which cells rely on the value in C4. This is part of Excel's Formula Auditing toolset, designed to help users understand relationships between cells - critical for auditing, debugging, and understanding spreadsheet logic.

Steps and Reasoning

Step 1: Navigate to the "Retail" worksheet

Click the "Retail" tab at the bottom of the workbook. All auditing tools operate on the active sheet, so you must be on the correct sheet before selecting any cell. If you run Trace Dependents from the wrong sheet, you'll audit the wrong data entirely.

Step 2: Click cell C4

Select C4 specifically, because the question asks for dependents of C4 - meaning cells whose formulas reference C4. The auditing arrow originates from the cell you select. Selecting any other cell gives you the wrong cell's dependency map.

Step 3: Go to Formulas tab → Formula Auditing group → click "Trace Dependents"

This draws blue arrows pointing away from C4 toward every cell that directly references C4 in its formula. Each click of Trace Dependents adds another level of dependency (direct → indirect). One click shows cells that directly use C4.

What Goes Wrong If Steps Are Skipped

Memory Tip

Dependents = downstream. Think of C4 as a source: dependents are cells that receive its influence. The arrows point away from C4 like water flowing downstream. "Trace Dependents" → arrows flow out.

To remove the arrows afterward, use Formulas → Remove Arrows.

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