What does the IF function do in Excel?

The IF function in Excel is a powerful tool used for making decisions within your data based on a logical test. When you utilize the IF function, it evaluates a condition you've specified; if that condition is met (or true), it will return a specific value that you have designated for that scenario. Conversely, if the condition is not met (or false), it will return a different value that you have specified for that situation.

This ability to return different outcomes based on the result of a logical test allows users to create dynamic and versatile spreadsheets that respond to varying data inputs. For instance, you might use the IF function to determine if sales targets have been met by returning "Target Met" if true and "Target Not Met" if false.

In this context, the other choices describe different functions and capabilities within Excel but do not accurately represent the unique functionality of the IF function. Performing calculations on a range of cells is typical of functions like SUM or AVERAGE. Combining text is the role of functions like CONCATENATE or TEXTJOIN. Counting logical values is typically handled by the COUNTIF or COUNTA functions. Each of these serves its own purpose, but none fulfill the specific role of evaluating conditions and providing different outputs based on the results, which