What does the =IF function do in a spreadsheet?

The =IF function in a spreadsheet is designed to evaluate a condition and return a specific value based on whether that condition is true or false. It allows users to create logical tests and perform different actions in response to those tests, making it a powerful tool for decision-making within spreadsheets.

For instance, if you want to determine if a student's score is passing or failing, you could set up an =IF function to check if the score is greater than or equal to a certain threshold. If the condition is met (true), it might display "Pass", and if not (false), it could display "Fail". This functionality is essential for conditions in data analysis and reporting, enabling dynamic responses based on varied inputs.

In contrast, other choices describe different functionalities. Calculating totals or averages, inserting charts, and performing arithmetic operations are different tasks that utilize their respective functions and do not involve conditional logic like the =IF function does. Thus, the key function of the =IF formula is its ability to show a value based on a condition, making it invaluable for implementing logic within data sets.