What is the primary purpose of the SUM function in spreadsheets?

What is the primary purpose of the SUM function in spreadsheets?

• A. Calculates the average
• B. Adds a range of numbers
• C. Counts non-empty cells
• D. Finds the maximum value

Answer: (B)

The SUM function is used to add numbers to produce a total. By selecting a range or listing individual cells, it goes through each numeric value and returns their sum. Empty cells contribute nothing, non-numeric text is ignored, and numbers produced by formulas are included. If a referenced cell contains an error, the result will reflect that error. You can combine multiple ranges or individual cells in one SUM, which makes it very handy for totaling things like expenses, scores, or sales across a worksheet.

The SUM function is used to add numbers to produce a total. By selecting a range or listing individual cells, it goes through each numeric value and returns their sum. Empty cells contribute nothing, non-numeric text is ignored, and numbers produced by formulas are included. If a referenced cell contains an error, the result will reflect that error. You can combine multiple ranges or individual cells in one SUM, which makes it very handy for totaling things like expenses, scores, or sales across a worksheet.