Which of the following scenarios would most effectively necessitate the use of a three-dimensional reference within an MS Excel formula?​

Correct option is C

The correct answer is (C) Summing values from a specific cell across a sequence of identically structured worksheets representing monthly data for a year

• A three-dimensional reference in Excel is used to refer to the same cell or range of cells across multiple worksheets within the same workbook. It is particularly useful when working with identically structured worksheets (such as monthly reports) and you need to perform calculations across these sheets.

• Scenario C: When summing values from a specific cell across multiple worksheets that have the same structure (e.g., monthly data for a year), you can use a three-dimensional reference to simplify the formula. For example:

  • =SUM(January:December!B2) would sum the values in cell B2 across all worksheets from January to December in the same workbook.

• Three-Dimensional Reference: It involves specifying a range of worksheets within the formula, like Sheet1:Sheet12!A1, where the range includes multiple sheets in between, and it performs the calculation over all those sheets.

• This is useful for scenarios such as monthly reporting or when tracking data across periodically structured data sets like quarters or years.

• Option A (Conditional Formatting): Incorrect. Conditional formatting does not involve the use of three-dimensional references. It is used to format cells based on values or rules but does not require referencing multiple worksheets.

• Option B (Chart from Different Workbooks): Incorrect. While you can create charts using data from multiple workbooks, this does not require a three-dimensional reference. Instead, external links to other workbooks are used.

• Option D (Average Sales Across Non-Contiguous Worksheets): Incorrect. While this scenario might require data from multiple worksheets, it refers to non-contiguous sheets. Three-dimensional references are generally used for contiguous worksheets within the same workbook.