---
title: "Formula Microscope"
description: "See how a formula evaluates and jump to the cells behind its result."
canonical_url: https://scratch.itsryan.me/docs/formula-microscope
---

# Formula Microscope

**Select a formula cell and click ƒx in the formula bar. You can also choose Inspect Formula from the command palette.**

## Read a calculation

Enter `3` in A1 and `5` in A2. Enter `=SUM(A1:A2)*2` in B1 and inspect it. The microscope shows `16` for the result, `8` for the sum and `2` for the multiplier. Click `A1:A2` to select that range in the grid.

An `IF` formula shows which branch ran. Parts Scratch didn’t evaluate are marked **Not evaluated**. A range shows how many cells it covers. Press Escape to close the microscope and keep the grid open.

Named ranges resolve to the cells they cover. For a cross-sheet reference, the microscope shows the sheet and address in the expression. Jump links are available for references on the current sheet. [Work across sheets](https://scratch.itsryan.me/docs/grid.md#work-across-sheets).

## Find a cell behind an error

Set A1 to `0`, B1 to `=12/A1` and C1 to `=B1+1`. Inspect C1 to see the path through B1 to A1. Choose **Go to A1** to jump to the zero divisor. For an error inside the formula itself, such as `=1/0`, the microscope shows the failing step. A formula Scratch cannot parse shows the error above the expression.

<figure class="scratch-media">
<img class="scratch-light" src="/docs/formula-error-light.webp" alt="The Formula Microscope traces a division error to the zero in B2 and offers a jump to that cell." width="840" height="472" loading="lazy" decoding="async">
<img class="scratch-dark" src="/docs/formula-error-dark.webp" alt="The Formula Microscope traces a division error to the zero in B2 and offers a jump to that cell." width="840" height="472" loading="lazy" decoding="async">
</figure>

## Match formula references to the grid

Expand the formula bar to see each reference in a different colour. The same colour outlines its cells in the grid. Repeated references to the same range share a colour.

## See where a pinned result came from

Select a result and choose **Pin Result** in the command palette. Click the chevron beside **Go to Cell** on the floating card to show the formula, intermediate results and links to its inputs. When a source row came from a screenshot, **View Screenshot Source** opens that row and its image in Scratch. Click the chevron again to return to the number.